Monday sees the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London. But unlike every other VIP royal family event, all the dignitaries and visiting heads of state have to wait for us plebs and normies to view the Queen first as part of her lying-in-state, where hundreds of thousands of people – including David Beckham doing Peaky Blinders cosplay – queued for hours to pay their respects to her.
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So what was it like being in the Queue to End All Queues, now hailed by some as the “most British thing ever”, presumably ranked alongside other paragons of Britishness, like Paddington Bear, colonialism and going “oi oi look who it is then” when you see some you know walk into a pub? Who were the people who willingly joined a queue that stretched all the way to Bermondsey, just to have a few silent minutes to commune with the Queen and hopefully not get caught on the official livestream picking their nose or yawning? How did they feel once it spat them out the other side of the Abbey, blinking, in the harsh light of day? Were all those hours of waiting worth it? To find out, VICE photographer Aiyush Pachnanda went down to meet some people in line to see the Queen and then caught up with them once they left Westminster Abbey.
Hazeem Arif, 23, Leamington Spa
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After: As soon as we walked in, you could hear a pin drop. Everything went silent. I felt very moved – I didn’t want to leave. It takes you 20 mins to walk around it; they let you walk right up against the side of it and let you pay your respects in any way you wish. Some people were bowing, some were curtsying, some were praying and once you are done you walk out – it’s a blessing to have seen her. Total wait time: 7 hours
Joseph Arujo, 18, California
After: I realised one thing I felt once I saw her, [which is] how fragile life is. Before, you see her as a being that is almost higher than human – and then seeing her casket ten feet ahead really makes you have a new look on life. It was really sad. All the guards in the uniform protecting the Queen – it’s hard to describe as it’s something I never felt, a whole new world of royalty that we get to experience for a brief moment.
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My feelings [on the royals] have stayed the same, but I do really sympathise with them and the family… No matter how you feel about them, you can see that it’s a sad moment in history.
Chris Newbury, 29, London
After: [As I walked in there was] just a sudden sombreness – a core of peacefulness. There were people crying. I bowed and said thank you, thank you for your service for myself and all my family. To be in the UK – as I now live abroad – and to be here and witness everything from our greatest monarch to the start of our new king makes me really proud about this country and shows how old it is. Queue time: 3 hours
Jo Andales, 30, London
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Total wait time: 7 hours