What you didn’t see on TV as the Queen’s coffin travelled through London
Ministers refused entry, crowd members in dispute and demands to speak to the manager. This is the chaos you didn’t see on TV.
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Ministers refused entry, crowd members in dispute and many demands to speak to the manager: There were two very different scenes on either side of the big green walls blocking streets in central London on Wednesday.
As the Queen’s coffin was transported from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, crowds along the route could be seen on the television in a state of reverence.
But away from the cameras, tensions were high.
In a bid to keep crowd numbers under control, temporary green metal barriers, staffed by security, were used along the route to block access to viewing points when they reached capacity – which happened well before the procession began.
But for those stuck on the outside of the green barriers, there was a clear sense of desperation – frustrated by the reality they were so close and yet would miss out on the historical moment.
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At one point, a woman accused a man behind her of giving her bruises and threatened to knock him out.
The two were part of a group tightly packed on a raised part of concrete that could just see the Queen’s coffin passing in the distance.
An elderly man nearby desperately snapped photos on his phone unable to capture anything other than people’s heads in front.
Security was so tight, news.com.au witnessed two UK government ministers refused entry despite showing their identification.
Minister of State for Northern Ireland Steve Baker was forced to call the Prime Minister’s office before he was let past security and Minister for Europe Leo Docherty was only allowed past with Mr Baker advocating for him.
Civil Service employees, some claiming to be involved in the organising of the procession, were also refused entry to their offices.
At another entry point, a member of the security team told news.com.au that people had claimed to be just about anyone in order to get past them.
“One said, ‘I’m the royal florist I should be allowed in there,’” he told news.com.au.
He said another person claimed their uncle was in the army and had believed that justified their access.
A police officer at Westminster station said the crowds on Wednesday were just a taste of what was expected on Monday for the Queen’s funeral.
Queen Elizabeth II, 96, died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
Her body arrived in London on Tuesday and the ceremonial procession on Wednesday brought her coffin from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.
It is there her coffin will remain available for public viewing from 5pm on Wednesday until 6.30am on Monday, the day of her funeral.
Both Brits and foreigners determined to view the late monarch’s coffin queued overnight in heavy rain.
Leigh Gregory, 58, from London, arrived at 7.30pm on Tuesday with nothing but a trench coat and a bin bag-turned-makeshift poncho later given to him by a fellow royalist.
“It was dry but then within 25 minutes the heavens opened and I got absolutely soaked through. It’s still soaking wet,” he said, touching his coat.
“It was really heavy and didn’t really stop until the early hours.”
Mr Gregory said the Queen served her country with “dignity, honour, honesty” and it was his duty to be there “rain or shine”.
Like many, he had made friends with his fellow queuers so each could take turns in stepping away to use the bathroom.
One of those friends was US man David Liddle, 54, who flew into London from Utah on Tuesday afternoon and joined the queue at 6.30pm.
“We came out during the Platinum Jubilee and she didn’t attend many of the events so I thought she must be kind of going downhill,” he said.
“And after her husband passed too I thought she might not be too far behind so at that time I started thinking and planning ahead. I wanted to be there when the Queen passes and just pay my respects.”
Mr Liddle booked his flights and accommodation two hours before the royal family announced her death on Thursday evening.
He said he knew this would be it when news broke the Queen’s children had rushed to be by her side at Balmoral.
“She exemplifies to me grace and dignity, selfless service and faithfulness – something that tends to be lacking today in our world,” Mr Liddle said.
“With her dying, it kind of makes me wonder maybe the world is changing and losing some of that.”
Patricia King, 69, also spent the night in the rain, but said she would have been there even if it was snowing.
She came alone but had since made five queue buddies.
Ms King, from Norwich, said a kind man with a nearby flat had allowed the group to use his bathroom and take short breaks from the rain.
“We haven’t slept. The adrenaline has kicked in,” she said with a smile.
“[The Queen] has given so much of her life for her people and this is one way we can show our respect back.
And there was another special reason Ms King was determined to be there.
“My mother and I came for the Queen Mother’s funeral in 2002, we had to queue for a long while then,” she said. “I lost my mum so this is my tribute as well for my mum because my mum was a big royalist.”
Stephen Hallgate, 61, from London, arrived at 8am on Tuesday to be eighth in the line.
“Gradually, every hour there was a few [more] people coming and now there’s a lot, lot more coming,” he said.
He described the experience of waiting more than 24 hours as “fabulous”.
“I didn’t get any sleep at all. I was running on the energy of the moment,” he said.
“It’s been a fabulous experience. We’ve had lots of fun and lots of laughs. No tears. The tears will come when we’re in front of the coffin I’m sure.”
Originally published as What you didn’t see on TV as the Queen’s coffin travelled through London
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