# Breaking - The Queen is unwell (has died): 8 Sep 2022 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** breaking-news\ **Created:** [September 8, 2022, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212 "2022-09-08T11:49:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 28
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/541 "2022-09-14T15:28:59Z")
I don’t doubt that they rehearsed the entire process, perhaps even with a stand-in for the crown. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/542 "2022-09-14T15:30:36Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’m sure you’re right but still I got a little nervous with that crown looking so precarious on that pillow on top of the casket. I imagine it was anchored down pretty well. You could probably have turned the casket upside down (like they do in some ice cream places) and it wouldn’t have fallen off. * * * * * * > [@mbh](#): > > I wonder if the soldiers rehearsed a bit, before the ceremony… “A bit”? They probably practiced for hours. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/543 "2022-09-14T15:34:49Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t doubt that they rehearsed the entire process, perhaps even with a stand-in for the crown. Yes, when they rehearsed for the Queen Mother’s funeral in 2002 ([video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO3j-sVfJH0&t=16s)) they had some kind of weight on the top of the coffin. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/544 "2022-09-14T15:41:52Z")
Wow, that’s more elaborate than I imagined. I figured they rehearsed privately, back at their barracks. That video showed them actually marching down public streets. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/545 "2022-09-14T15:45:41Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’m sure you’re right but still I got a little nervous with that crown looking so precarious on that pillow on top of the casket. I thought that too but then remembered that there is a substantial amount of ironmongery involved there. That’s some chunky bling. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/546 "2022-09-14T15:55:59Z")
I don’t think the pillow is a normal pillow. I suspect there’s a head-shaped lump for the crown to sit on, at the very least. And the coffin is thought to have a depression on the lid to keep the pillow from shifting around. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/547 "2022-09-14T16:06:00Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > You could probably have turned the casket upside down (like they do in some ice cream places) You… have many funeral processions through ice cream places where you are? ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/548 "2022-09-14T16:06:52Z")
There is an official live queue tracker on YouTube and other social media sites: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9NpZuGxSgZY/maxresdefault.jpg "Her Majesty The Queen's Lying-in-State | Queue Tracker") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NpZuGxSgZY) ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/549 "2022-09-14T16:08:55Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And people are applauding as the procession passes, which seems wrong to me. That’s quite normal in the UK, in recognition and appreciation of service. It often happens at the start of football matches when a significant player or manager has died. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/550 "2022-09-14T16:10:50Z")
Ice cream is the saddest dessert. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/551 "2022-09-14T16:27:09Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I felt bad for the guys carrying the casket on their shoulders, that’s got to get uncomfortable after a few minutes. Stiff upper lips and all that. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/552 "2022-09-14T16:28:34Z")
i find carrot cake to be quite sad. the weight of the royal coffins are substantial. they tend to have a lot of lead in them, carrying them on shoulders does help a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/553 "2022-09-14T16:29:53Z")
And I noticed that they reach one arm across to rest on the shoulder of the opposite pallbearer. That may help stabilize the casket. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/554 "2022-09-14T16:30:30Z")
Given that averagely fit funeral directors manage it at funerals for mere mortals, I’m sure these strapping lads can handle it! Fun facts about the location of the lying in State - Westminster Hall. Built in 1097 by William the Conqueror’s son, was the location for Henry VIII’s coronation banquet, and the trial of Charles I. There’s history in them there walls. > [@mbh](#): > > I wonder if the soldiers rehearsed a bit, before the ceremony, to make sure that everybody would remain in lockstep when they had to make a turn. You think? > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > (Sort of like how someone noted upthread the hearses used in the UK and elsewhere were different from the American type.) It seems there’s a fair few differences, including with the coffins. We tend to have ones that narrow towards the head, whereas from what I’ve seen on TV, US coffins tend to be rectangle (and sometimes with a half lid you can lift for open casket viewings). [![](https://odwyerfunerals.co.uk/ofd2019a/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/the-parwich-coffin.jpg) ](https://odwyerfunerals.co.uk/ofd2019a/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/the-parwich-coffin.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/555 "2022-09-14T16:44:22Z")
Gosh, I’m watching the live feed of the lying in and it’s surprisingly emotional - something about the silence - I thought they’d cut the sound feed, but I can now hear soldier’s feet as they change the guard. [Youtube feed here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vMlnIf47TY). ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/556 "2022-09-14T16:57:44Z")
Thanks for the link. I wasn’t sure of the best place to watch. You’re right-- it’s quite moving. I wonder how many people will have filed past by the time this part is over? ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/557 "2022-09-14T17:09:29Z")
Why was Sarah Ferguson absent from Andrew’s side? All the other royals had their spouses beside them in the procession. Is it because she and Andrew are divorced? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/558 "2022-09-14T17:11:14Z")
This is very moving to watch. Many in black. Most everyone briefly bowing their heads. Many making the sign of the cross. Some whispering, “Thank you.” ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/559 "2022-09-14T17:45:02Z")
Yes, Sarah isn’t Andrew’s spouse anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212/560 "2022-09-14T17:47:28Z")
> [@medstar](#): > > Why was Sarah Ferguson absent from Andrew’s side? All the other royals had their spouses beside them in the procession. Is it because she and Andrew are divorced? Yep. He doesn’t have a spouse. Not since 1996. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212.md?page=27) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-the-queen-is-unwell-has-died-8-sep-2022/971212.md?page=29)