The Queue to pay respect and view the Queen’s coffin during the 4 day period when she was lying in state was a facinating story within the context of a very somber event. With the exception of foreign dignitaries and MP’s, most people….upwards of 250,000….stood in line for as long as 24 hours over the period of 4 days to walk past the Queen’s coffin. STOOD IN LINE! Not “pop up a camping tent” and sleep in a sleeping bag overnight, like many in the US do on Thanksgiving night for sales at major electronics stores.
At the same time the queue formed in London, across the pond in New York City another line formed. To have the opportunity to own a new iPhone 14 Pro, a line that wrapped part way around a city block made news in the US. If you stood in line for a while at the Apple store and forked over $1400, you walked away with a fancy phone with an amazing camera and many souped-up features…a phone that you’ll probably replace in a year or so with a newer model.
So, what did the people who queued day and night, moving “stop and go” continuously for over 5 miles past iconic London landmarks, along the banks of the Thames receive for their effort? Each person earned a few seconds to take an indelible picture in their mind (no cameras allowed) of an historic moment…to stand close to the Queen’s coffin, resplendent with the royal standard flag, Imperial Crown, sceptre and orb, and wreath of meaningful flowers from her estates. Each person who endured the cold nights, using porta potties, eating snacks carried in handbags, and hours of standing earned the privilege to give respect to the Queen in their own personal way. Many bowed or curtsied, military personnel saluted, the sign of the cross and hand over hearts were frequent, and tears were many.
Once in a great, great while, there is an opportunity so rare that stirs people from around the world to make a Herculean effort for an experience that can never be bought again for any price. The permanent impression each person took away after they stood in front of the Queen’s catafalque is far more valuable than any photo an iPhone could take of that moment, for it is uniquely private and personal, and can never be shared.
Thank you Keith Sills, a professor in crowd science, for helping to design the queueing and security screening system for events such as the Queen’s funeral. I’ve personally seen more impatience in a 10 minute line at the local Walmart on a Saturday than in the miles of orderly people following a designated path along the sidewalks of London…..all simply waiting for a few seconds in Westminster Hall to pay their respect. The Brits certainly did a magnificent job, and I’m sure many had iPhones that helped them pass the time away as they queued! I will remember this the next time I get in line.
Cary to Calcutta 