Brits have a reputation for patiently waiting in line, but the queue for Queen Elizabeth II to lie down is likely to be unprecedented, even by her standards.
A huge line is expected to snake through the night as people pay their respects to the Queen at Parliament’s Westminster Hall in London this week, the British government has warned.
Mourners will also face airport-style security checks and will follow strict rules, including an edict to wear appropriate clothing and a ban on filming, photography or using mobile phones.
They will be allowed to walk continuously past the coffin of the late monarch from 5pm (4pm GMT) Wednesday evening until 6.30am on the morning of her state funeral on September 19.
“Please note that the queue is expected to be very long. They have to stand for many hours, possibly overnight, and have very little opportunity to sit down as the queue will keep moving,” the government guidelines issued on Monday said.
“Please consider this before deciding to attend or bring children.”
Around 750,000 people are expected to lay out the queen. The queue could stretch five miles (eight kilometers) and the wait could last up to 20 hours, The Times newspaper said.
The numbers are expected to be “far more” than the 200,000 people who walked by the Queen’s mother’s mother’s coffin when she died in 2002, Prime Minister Liz Truss’s spokesman said on Monday.
He declined to give the total amount expected.
Like her mother’s, Queen Elizabeth II’s closed coffin will rest on a raised platform known as a catafalque, and people will file past on either side to pay their respects.
– No barbecues –
But getting this far should prove to be an endurance test.
The government advised people to wear “appropriate clothing” for the weather conditions, including either warm clothing or an umbrella when it’s wet, or sunscreen when it’s hot.
You should also bring food and drinks to consume in line as there are limited places to purchase refreshments in line.
It is also recommended to bring a portable cell phone charger.
If people need to go to the toilet, they will be given wristbands that allow them to exit the queue for a short time, Downing Street said.
The government has also banned tents or gazebos, as well as “barbecues or fires”, fearing people might try to camp in line.
Details of the queue’s route will be released on Tuesday.
When they eventually reach the Palace of Westminster, mourners must pass through an “airport-style security search point”.
They will be given a wristband to enter the building, which they must take off when exiting.
Inside, they face a prohibitively long list of rules.
People should “dress appropriately” for the occasion and “respect the dignity of this event,” the guidelines said, adding, “Do not wear clothing with political or offensive slogans.”
Only small bags are allowed. Large items must be left in a baggage hold area, but there is no guarantee that space will be available.
Flowers, stuffed animals, and other tributes are prohibited from inside the building. The Government said they should instead be left in a special area in Green Park, near Buckingham Palace.
Anyone hoping to capture their moment for posterity with the body of Britain’s longest-serving monarch will also be disappointed.
“You may not film, photograph, or use cell phones or other portable devices in the hall,” the guidelines state.
