While much of the country spent the national period of mourning lightly numb, occasionally sobbing, and clicking between memes of the Queen jumping out of a helicopter, taking tea with Paddington, or delighting in cows, many made the pilgrimage to Westminster Hall, to file past the catafalque where the Queen lay in state, paying tribute in person to the woman who was both Queen and in many ways also the nation’s much loved grandmother.
The invite to pay personal tribute was open. Wide open. Nobody had any idea just how many would turn up, which led to speculation that it could be over a million, necessitating 20 to 35 hour overnight queues, and huge numbers of people being turned away.
Bear in mind that those who have lived the longest would have most likely wished to pay respects to Her Majesty, and what was the plan?
