Gransnet forums

Chat

The age of those flocking to see the cortege of the Queen and to the lying in state.

(205 Posts)
M0nica Wed 14-Sep-22 18:18:26

Watching the coverage of the funeral cortege of the Queen on its journey from Balmoral to Westminster Hall, the thing I have noticed is how young so many of those queueing up are. So many families with children as well as young people.

From many commentators there has been an assumption that monarchy is something we are growing out of and young people today have no interest in it.

The crowds I have seen over the last few days seem to suggest that this is wishful thinking.

luluaugust Thu 15-Sep-22 10:30:17

I went to see the flowers at Sandringham yesterday and thought how touching it was that mothers were holding their tiny babies and toddlers having their photo taken against the backdrop of the flowers. One mother was saying it was because the baby would have no memory of the event and this would show them they were part of it.

annodomini Thu 15-Sep-22 10:41:27

Boris Johnson was elected Head of Government in our own country. Should we abandon democratic elections for Prime Minister because we got a bad'un?
Sorry volver, BJ happened to be leader of the Conservatives when the country elected a Tory majority and thus he became PM. Nobody could say the the country has chosen Liz Truss to be PM.

volver Thu 15-Sep-22 11:05:46

Sorry annodomini, although Boris Johnson was elected by a few thousand voters in Uxbridge, many people will tell you with relish that they voted for Boris, even though they clearly didn't.

He was the leader of the party when they went for election and his personality was instrumental in the Tory victory. None of us expected Truss, yet here we are.

If you think you're going to educate me on electoral dynamics in the UK, you're going to have to try harder.

Normandygirl Thu 15-Sep-22 11:08:13

annodomini

^Boris Johnson was elected Head of Government in our own country. Should we abandon democratic elections for Prime Minister because we got a bad'un?^
Sorry volver, BJ happened to be leader of the Conservatives when the country elected a Tory majority and thus he became PM. Nobody could say the the country has chosen Liz Truss to be PM.

Technically that is correct, we don't elect any members of the government at all. We can only elect our local mp, the rest is up to the party themselves.
In reality though, we all know that when a general election happens the majority of people cast their vote to get the PM they prefer. If Johnson had not been the leader, I doubt that the Tories would even have managed to get a working majority. So in that sense we do indeed elect the PM.

Franbern Thu 15-Sep-22 13:28:52

Do wonder at those children there. Should they not be in school?

Germanshepherdsmum Thu 15-Sep-22 13:30:26

Just what I’ve been saying. And how many of the adults have actually skived off work?

volver Thu 15-Sep-22 15:34:05

What a lovely view you have of your fellow countrymen GSM.

Jaxjacky Thu 15-Sep-22 15:37:32

A big shout out to the Scouts, running the bag drop, sorting donated food for the food bank, generally being so useful over 3x 8 hour shifts every day.
Maybe they, at 16- 18 years old have been excused school/college, they’ve made their Promise to the Queen.

Germanshepherdsmum Thu 15-Sep-22 16:20:16

Just a realist and former employer volver.

62Granny Thu 15-Sep-22 16:54:41

I wouldn't queue in London to see the coffin , even if I lived on the procession route I don't think I would have gone out to see it.
There was a young girl on the lunch time news who looked really bereft and I thought why? The queen served the country well for 70 years she lived a long and fulfilling life we should be celebrating that achievement not crying over her coffin. I find this type of behaviour ghoulish tbh.

volver Thu 15-Sep-22 17:05:24

I'm with Dan Snow.

Why didn't they have an app with timed viewing slots?

Couldn't be because they wanted to have the biggest queue in history as a testament to how much people loved her, could it?

Germanshepherdsmum Thu 15-Sep-22 17:10:00

A lot of people don’t have smart phones volver, especially older people. And with the numbers wanting to file past the coffin don’t you think it would have crashed?

volver Thu 15-Sep-22 17:16:44

I thought we were just remarking on the proportion of younger people in the queue.

With adequate servers it wouldn't crash.

And if you don't have a smart phone they could have set up access points around London where you could book a place. Or in local Post offices etc.

Plus you can print out the pass, you don't need a smart phone. Its how they do the V&A, British Museum etc.

Plus they didn't have to create it in the last few days, it could have been created previously, tested and held in abeyance until needed.

Why didn't I think of this before ?

MawtheMerrier Thu 15-Sep-22 17:18:27

Given the age of the King, volver you could do worse than patent that idea!

Germanshepherdsmum Thu 15-Sep-22 17:19:28

I don’t know volver, with you being such a genius and all. Totally inexplicable.

Perhaps you should suggest it for Charles’s funeral?

Germanshepherdsmum Thu 15-Sep-22 17:20:06

Cross posts Maw.

MawtheMerrier Thu 15-Sep-22 17:21:43

Great minds and all that gringrin

volver Thu 15-Sep-22 17:23:29

Germanshepherdsmum

I don’t know volver, with you being such a genius and all. Totally inexplicable.

Perhaps you should suggest it for Charles’s funeral?

Don't tempt me.

It's such a pity to deprive the country of my genius, after all. ?

Germanshepherdsmum Thu 15-Sep-22 17:25:27

Which, of course, independence would do - a good reason for we beneficiaries of your genius to oppose it!

volver Thu 15-Sep-22 17:25:50

?

Lexisgranny Thu 15-Sep-22 17:25:53

Or could it be that they realised that not everyone had access to the internet and they did not want to disadvantage anyone?

volver Thu 15-Sep-22 17:26:26

Lexisgranny

Or could it be that they realised that not everyone had access to the internet and they did not want to disadvantage anyone?

I thought of that - please see above.

I'm really warming to this.

Lexisgranny Thu 15-Sep-22 17:27:15

Sorry, posts crossed there, I stopped to check on the fish I was cooking!

Lexisgranny Thu 15-Sep-22 17:29:44

Just to make it clear my last remark was not addressed to Volver

Calendargirl Thu 15-Sep-22 17:39:17

It’s such a pity to deprive the country of my genius, after all

To say nothing of your modesty.

I was always told ‘Self praise is no recommendation’ if I was getting too big for my boots when I was younger.

(It’s ok Volver, I know you were joking!)

But actually, if it turns out it is the biggest queue in history, well, I think that’s a great testament to our wonderful Queen.