Lying In State

[Canary42]

I've just been watching the live stream. Quite fascinating for people-watchers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-62902778

Why all the guards - surely Burke & Hare emulators are long gone. Apart from which, there's enough potential vigilantes there to interfere.

And what an awful role for the guards. I wonder how frequently they are cycled.

[jno]

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1810328.html

[jno]

btw for those wanting to join the queue here's a live map



Currently 2.6 miles. Interesting that the worthy burghers of Westminister have managed to dump all the responsibility onto Southwark south of the river!

Actually, just refreshed it and the page is "not available" but hopefully they'll update it

[bednobs]

i would imagine that having a multi-million pound crown on top has something to do with it canary!

[naomi24]

That crown is fabulous! I've just been looking at a close up picture of it.

[ToraToraTora]

Canary: "Why all the guards" - well that's the new front runner for stupidest question of the year! Think it through me old China.

[10ClarionSt]

TTT, subtle as a bucket of manure, as usual! :o)

We were in London yesterday, not for this. We'd arranged it ages ago but we still got caught up in it. There was a long queue for a gander at the coffin but it was very thin.

[burlyshirley1]

I am enjoying watching the people filing past the coffin (if 'enjoying' is the right word). It's very moving and especially when they interview some of them afterwards, and they are quite emotional and so glad they have been. I wish it had been possible for me to go.

I remember Prince Charles was one of the guards at his Grandmother's coffin and I was wondering if William was going to do it for the Queen, but I think we would have heard by now if he was.

I agree about the crown, it is stunning.

[naomi24]

//There was a long queue for a gander at the coffin but it was very thin. //

They said last night just minutes after the hall was opened to the public that the queue was 2.5 miles long. It looked to me that they had one of those winding around systems going - like they do at busy airports - and that looked packed.

[pastafreak]

One of the guards fainted last night. Poor man...I hope he wasn't hurt.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11213613/Drama-guard-FAINTS-podium-holding-vigil-Queens-coffin-Westminster-Hall.html#reader-comments

[Ken4155]

Pasta, you may notice that it is the police who rush to his aid. Don't know if the rules have changed since i was in uniform, but if anyone fainted during parades - and it was quite a frequent occurrence (particularly on hot days) - we could not assist them. And if the order to march came while the soldier was still on the ground, we had to march around him.

[pastafreak]

I did notice that, and assumed that the guards were never to leave their place.

[naomi24]

I think that still applies, Ken.