Member-only story
How long did you queue?
Out of respect or disrespect
I’m not sure if you remember, but the Queen of England is dead, and now King Charles is in her place. The United Kingdom is finally a Kingdom (not in a good way, more just a long wait), but whether it is united is another story.
Which is why the queue to pay respects proved a topic of debate. Why did people spend so long waiting outside, slowly creeping forward, to enter a room full of pomp and circumstance. Of course, there in the middle was the Queen’s coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, for everyone to look at, say something and then move on.
An astonishing quart of a million people queued along the Thames, waiting up to twenty hours for a few minutes inside Westminster Hall. Some had a short tube ride there and back, whilst others had travelled hundreds or thousands of miles to be there.
There is no denying it was a truly historic event, however I wanted to reflect on such a movement and people’s motivation.
Respecting her service
One of the predominant reasons I heard for people wanting to pay their respects was because of the service the Queen gave to the country. Travelling up and down the UK, and around the world, meeting and inspiring with words and gifts. She put a spring in people’s steps with a smile…
