30 Of The Best Memes And Reactions To The Very British Queue Throughout London To See The Queen In State At Westminster
The British hate standing in queues as much as anyone else, but they are known for their skill at forming perfectly orderly queues, their delight at seeing one and their tutting and sighing when someone is trying to cut the line.
This week their skill is put into good practice as they are standing in the ultimate queue. It has already been dubbed The Queue or the Elizabeth Line. Brits are standing in it to get the chance to pay respects to their late monarch Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state in the Palace of Westminster before her funeral.
At the time of writing this article, The Queue was about 5 miles long before it got paused. Before being paused, the tracker estimated that people would have to wait for 14 hours to be able to get inside the Palace where the coffin is. It’s quite crazy, but that doesn’t stop devoted and mourning Brits from joining The Queue. Or coming to just look at it and admire it.
People online were quick to mock the hilarity and absurdity of it, but also the beauty and the Britishness of it. Apparently, there is nothing more quintessential for a Brit than standing in a queue and the world is proud of them, but it needs to pull their leg as well.
Image credits: Julian Calder
This post may include affiliate links.
She’s with her family now which should be some comfort to those paying their respects
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8th at the age of 96 and after ruling the country for 70 years, which made her the longest reigning monarch in the UK’s history.
The Queen’s coffin that is made of oak on the outside and lead on the inside was carried by 8 Royal Air Force members who put in the coffin covered with the royal flag in a catafalque. It was taken to the official royal residency in Scotland, which is the Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.
On Monday, September 12, it was taken to the St. Giles’ Cathedral where people could wish the Queen a peaceful rest. It is estimated that 33,000 people went past her in the 24 hours that she was at the St. Giles' Cathedral.
I was about to say this is really such a British thing to do. Here where I live people would be coming in from all those side streets trying to cut into the line. Not to mention the huge crowd pushing at the front.
The Queen’s coffin continued its journey and on Tuesday, it was taken by a military C-17 Globemaster to London and carried into Buckingham Palace. On Wednesday, it was carried to its last stop before the funeral, which is the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate, Westminster Hall.
This is the place where the rest of the Brits can come and pay their respects to Elizabeth II. People started filing to enter Westminster Hall on Wednesday afternoon to get a chance to pass the Queen’s coffin. It is expected that 750,000 people will come to view the coffin until the lying in state’s end on Monday before the funeral, which is planned at 11:00 BST.
When they shut this down for the funeral, just like on Everest, they're gonna find the abandoned bodies of those who just couldn't go on.
To enter the Westminster Hall, people started lining up and started the most epic queue the world has ever seen as it is formed by the British, who are notorious for it, and also because they are standing in it to see their beloved Queen, who doesn’t even need to be named because everyone in the world thinks of her when you say the title.
The Queue goes along the river Thames and stretches all the way to London Bridge, The Tower Bridge and beyond. It is so long that the UK government Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) launched an official Queue Tracker available on YouTube which gives live updates about the growing line, where the endpoint is and what the estimated waiting time is.
Trust me, click on the little curiousiguana link at the bottom left and scroll up to read this full thread. One of THE best things I've ever read online!
Not only that, but in true British fashion, the government issued a guide to The Queue. It includes things like how to get to London, how to get to and join The Queue, what will be its route. There are rules of what you can and cannot bring, they warn about being prepared for the weather and that people will be searched.
People who are queuing are being given wristbands to indicate their location in The Queue so they can go get food and use the bathroom. Various cafes and other businesses are extending their working hours to cater for the people in the line and local venues and museums are open all day and night so people can use their facilities. In addition to that, there are more than 500 portable toilets at various points along The Queue’s route.
Paddington wouldn't be so bad as an Overlord, apart from the marmalade but I feel like I can live with that.
It is fascinating to see so many people united and so dedicated to standing in The Queue as they may need to remain in it overnight, during the colder hours of the day, to withstand the rain and the wind. It’s all because they felt grateful for the Queen’s service to their nation and now it’s their last chance to give her the last wave.
The people are coming to terms with the fact that they have a new king and are getting through their grief, which is evident from the memes and reactions online. They were joking about how long The Queue is, about how it's a pure reflection of what the UK is all about and that even if you aren't a supporter of the monarchy, it's worth coming there just to look at the beautiful view of people standing one behind another.
Which reactions did you like the most? Have you seen The Queue in real life? What do you think about it? Do you think the world is making a bigger deal of Queen Elizabeth’s death than it should? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Or.......now hear me out......you could just go out in public and meet people WITHOUT standing in line for several hours.
Wouldn't work the same. Seriously. A shared goal and problem/inconvenience is a hell of a social lubricant - and the queue guaranties not only that, but *also* that you and everyone around you is going to stay there for hours and hours and therefore has lots and lots of time to spare talking to each other.
Load More Replies...I love how The Queue has capitals and is now a phenomenon.
Imagine getting there, seeing the end of the queue so far away and still deciding to join....I can't comprehend that.
This is getting better, the further I go down this list. We'll done!
The Queue is a beacon of human achievement. It shows we are capable of patience and order. It is the bringer of hope. All hail The Queue.
To reply to Jason, it is almost the opposite. I'm a Brit in my late 40's and for most of my life a huge amount of media and the education system has attempted to portray the British monarchy as outdated and something only older generations care about. This is one of the main reasons for the queue - plans for Elizabeth's death have been meticulously designed, but completely misunderstood that in the UK (same as many western countries) establishment and media have not brainwashed as many as they think. A huge quite majority think for themselves. So no one planned that so many would wish to pay respect.
Load More Replies...My gosh, this looks insane! I wish I could wait in the longest line ever to pay respects to the queen. :(
I was thinking about going but decided not to. This thread reminding me I probably would have had to.. duh duh duh...socialise(!) makes me so happy I decided not to. I'm just tuning in to the live stream every now and again. Last night I caught an exciting bit where a bunch of old dudes in fancy dress were shuffling up the aisle and then swapped places with some other old dudes and they shuffled back down the aisle. Honestly, riveting!
One question: do people hold your spot if/when you need sustenance and deal with the results of said sustenance?
They are being given wristbands so that they can leave the queue to go to toilet or for food, I am not sure how it works, am guessing they are numbered as they allow you back into the same spot you was in.
Load More Replies...The only upsetting things about this post is that BP reduced it from 40 to 30. Glad I screen grabbed a few of my favorites earlier!
On the bottom of the last post there's a line in small text with the link to the original 40 pictures.
Load More Replies...If I was still living in London I, too, would have joined the queue to end all queues.
As an American this baffles me because I use the self checkout at the grocery store so I don't have to stand in line for 15 minutes behind 3 other people.
To be fair, self-checkout is kinda hard to do in this situation.
Load More Replies...The Queue is a beacon of human achievement. It shows we are capable of patience and order. It is the bringer of hope. All hail The Queue.
To reply to Jason, it is almost the opposite. I'm a Brit in my late 40's and for most of my life a huge amount of media and the education system has attempted to portray the British monarchy as outdated and something only older generations care about. This is one of the main reasons for the queue - plans for Elizabeth's death have been meticulously designed, but completely misunderstood that in the UK (same as many western countries) establishment and media have not brainwashed as many as they think. A huge quite majority think for themselves. So no one planned that so many would wish to pay respect.
Load More Replies...My gosh, this looks insane! I wish I could wait in the longest line ever to pay respects to the queen. :(
I was thinking about going but decided not to. This thread reminding me I probably would have had to.. duh duh duh...socialise(!) makes me so happy I decided not to. I'm just tuning in to the live stream every now and again. Last night I caught an exciting bit where a bunch of old dudes in fancy dress were shuffling up the aisle and then swapped places with some other old dudes and they shuffled back down the aisle. Honestly, riveting!
One question: do people hold your spot if/when you need sustenance and deal with the results of said sustenance?
They are being given wristbands so that they can leave the queue to go to toilet or for food, I am not sure how it works, am guessing they are numbered as they allow you back into the same spot you was in.
Load More Replies...The only upsetting things about this post is that BP reduced it from 40 to 30. Glad I screen grabbed a few of my favorites earlier!
On the bottom of the last post there's a line in small text with the link to the original 40 pictures.
Load More Replies...If I was still living in London I, too, would have joined the queue to end all queues.
As an American this baffles me because I use the self checkout at the grocery store so I don't have to stand in line for 15 minutes behind 3 other people.
To be fair, self-checkout is kinda hard to do in this situation.
Load More Replies...