‘The Queue’ to see Queen Elizabeth sparks UK pride: ‘a triumph of Britishness’
- The slow-moving file of people on their way to pay respects to the late monarch has become an object of fascination, as people track its length and pace
- The ability to queue has long formed a curious part of Britain’s self-identity, along with often idealised commitments to notions of ‘fair play’ and politeness
Orderly and good-natured, the enormous waiting line to see Queen Elizabeth’s coffin is being hailed as a triumph of Britishness in a country that prides itself on its queuing finesse.
“We British, this is what we do, queue in the rain,” Jacob Lovewell, a 29-year-old who works in marketing, said as he waited patiently in the slow-moving file as it snaked alongside the River Thames.
The line, which started forming more than 48 hours before people were first admitted on Wednesday evening, has its own YouTube channel and live-stream.
Plastered over newspaper front pages and reported live on television, the length and pace of “The Queue” as it is increasingly known is the new focus of a country in the middle of 10 days of mourning and pageantry.
By early afternoon Thursday, it was more than 7km (four miles) long – and growing – with people facing a wait of more than seven hours to glimpse the coffin, which is on display in Westminster Hall until Monday.