Thousands of people in Great Britain are now waiting for hours in line to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II. The intensity of the whole experience was so strong that many of them need medical attention.
The London Ambulance Service reported that 1,078 people in the line had to receive medical treatment since September 14 when the queen’s coffin arrive at Westminster Hall.
The queen will continue to lie in state at Westminster until her funeral Monday.
As of Sunday afternoon, the line was more than four miles long and it was about a 10-hour wait. Government officials were debating whether they should close the line when they felt like they had achieved what they called “final capacity” which was just before the 6:30 am deadline.
For some of the time, the queen’s family was standing vigil surrounding the Queen Mother.
Not only have there been medical emergencies in the line but there have also been reports of at least one crime. A man was charged on Friday with two counts of sexual assault.
But NBC News reported the line to see the late monarch was polite, even joyful at times. Some friends are handing out hot drinks to people.
“The event was reminiscent of the London Olympics in 2012, when the city was overwhelmed by a feeling of togetherness,” one person wrote on Sept. 15. “Mourners chatted amiably with police officers and the many marshals along the route, comparing reports of wait times and exchanging candy.”
Retired soccer great David Beckham waited in line for 12 hours with thousands of others on Friday to pay his respects to the late Queen.
The London-born athlete told the media that he felt it was appropriate to stand alongside his fellow citizens to honor the late monarch.
“I think it’s what I always wanted to do, in all honesty,” said Beckham. “I think we’re all here to celebrate Her Majesty, our queen, so I think it’s special to experience something like this together. It’s what I think she would have wanted.”
If you’re British, this is the queue you’ve been training for all your life. The final boss of queues. pic.twitter.com/5auXopBfOr
— Jof (@JofArnold) September 13, 2022
