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The British hate standing in queues as much as anyone else, but they are known for their skill at forming perfectly orderly queues, their delight at seeing one and their tutting and sighing when someone is trying to cut the line.

This week their skill is put into good practice as they are standing in the ultimate queue. It has already been dubbed The Queue or the Elizabeth Line. Brits are standing in it to get the chance to pay respects to their late monarch Queen Elizabeth II as she lies in state in the Palace of Westminster before her funeral.

At the time of writing this article, The Queue was about 5 miles long before it got paused. Before being paused, the tracker estimated that people would have to wait for 14 hours to be able to get inside the Palace where the coffin is. It’s quite crazy, but that doesn’t stop devoted and mourning Brits from joining The Queue. Or coming to just look at it and admire it. 

People online were quick to mock the hilarity and absurdity of it, but also the beauty and the Britishness of it. Apparently, there is nothing more quintessential for a Brit than standing in a queue and the world is proud of them, but it needs to pull their leg as well.

Image credits: Julian Calder

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Tweet by Ben Rathe about the British queue, highlighting the silent wait and line, related to memes and reactions in London.

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Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8th at the age of 96 and after ruling the country for 70 years, which made her the longest reigning monarch in the UK’s history.

The Queen’s coffin that is made of oak on the outside and lead on the inside was carried by 8 Royal Air Force members who put in the coffin covered with the royal flag in a catafalque. It was taken to the official royal residency in Scotland, which is the Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.

On Monday, September 12, it was taken to the St. Giles’ Cathedral where people could wish the Queen a peaceful rest. It is estimated that 33,000 people went past her in the 24 hours that she was at the St. Giles' Cathedral.

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    #2

    Tweet about watching The Crown back-to-back while queuing in London, related to British queue memes and reactions.

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    #3

    Long line of hikers climbing snowy mountain humorously representing the very British queue for the Queen at Westminster.

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    The Queen’s coffin continued its journey and on Tuesday, it was taken by a military C-17 Globemaster to London and carried into Buckingham Palace. On Wednesday, it was carried to its last stop before the funeral, which is the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate, Westminster Hall.

    This is the place where the rest of the Brits can come and pay their respects to Elizabeth II. People started filing to enter Westminster Hall on Wednesday afternoon to get a chance to pass the Queen’s coffin. It is expected that 750,000 people will come to view the coffin until the lying in state’s end on Monday before the funeral, which is planned at 11:00 BST.

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    Tweet from Emma Henderson about two types of people in the UK relating to the British queue to see the Queen in state at Westminster.

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    #5

    Woman with short brown hair in a gray shirt making a distressed face, meme about British queue for Queen at Westminster.

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    Tweet about the British queue culture and reactions to the London queue to see the Queen in state at Westminster.

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    To enter the Westminster Hall, people started lining up and started the most epic queue the world has ever seen as it is formed by the British, who are notorious for it, and also because they are standing in it to see their beloved Queen, who doesn’t even need to be named because everyone in the world thinks of her when you say the title.

    The Queue goes along the river Thames and stretches all the way to London Bridge, The Tower Bridge and beyond. It is so long that the UK government Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) launched an official Queue Tracker available on YouTube which gives live updates about the growing line, where the endpoint is and what the estimated waiting time is.

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    #7

    Tweet humor about very British queue in London, highlighting public reactions to the queue to see the Queen in state.

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    Tweet discussing the lengthy British queue in London to see the Queen in state at Westminster after her funeral.

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    People queuing throughout London at Westminster to pay tribute to the Queen in state, capturing the very British queue experience.

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    Not only that, but in true British fashion, the government issued a guide to The Queue. It includes things like how to get to London, how to get to and join The Queue, what will be its route. There are rules of what you can and cannot bring, they warn about being prepared for the weather and that people will be searched. 

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    People who are queuing are being given wristbands to indicate their location in The Queue so they can go get food and use the bathroom. Various cafes and other businesses are extending their working hours to cater for the people in the line and local venues and museums are open all day and night so people can use their facilities. In addition to that, there are more than 500 portable toilets at various points along The Queue’s route. 

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    Tweet by Justin Lines reflecting on the experience of the very British queue to see the Queen in state at Westminster.

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    Tweet by Michelle Chai humorously commenting on the British queue, relating to memes and reactions about the London queue for the Queen.

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    Group of friends smiling and holding pints, celebrating after waiting in the very British queue in London.

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    It is fascinating to see so many people united and so dedicated to standing in The Queue as they may need to remain in it overnight, during the colder hours of the day, to withstand the rain and the wind. It’s all because they felt grateful for the Queen’s service to their nation and now it’s their last chance to give her the last wave.

    The people are coming to terms with the fact that they have a new king and are getting through their grief, which is evident from the memes and reactions online. They were joking about how long The Queue is, about how it's a pure reflection of what the UK is all about and that even if you aren't a supporter of the monarchy, it's worth coming there just to look at the beautiful view of people standing one behind another.

    Which reactions did you like the most? Have you seen The Queue in real life? What do you think about it? Do you think the world is making a bigger deal of Queen Elizabeth’s death than it should? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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    People standing in a very British queue, waiting indoors, illustrating memes and reactions to the London queue for the Queen's viewing.

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    Long queue of people waiting outdoors under a large iron structure, illustrating the British queue for the Queen in London.

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    #15

    Tweet showing a scene from a movie with people in a solemn queue, referencing the British queue for the Queen at Westminster.

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    Map showing the very British queue route throughout London for the Queen lying in state at Westminster with pub stops.

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    Scene from sci-fi show with three characters inside a vehicle, used as a meme about the British queue for the Queen's state viewing.

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    Poem titled The Queue shared on Twitter, humorously reflecting on the very British queue throughout London for the Queen.

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    Model in green and white striped wide-leg pants with a fitted gray jacket, representing British queue memes at Westminster.

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    Lightbox sign displaying the phrase God Save The Queue referencing British queue memes and reactions in London.

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    People in animal masks forming a quirky queue outdoors, representing British queue humor in London.

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    Twitter thread discussing the very British queue in London to see the Queen in state at Westminster.

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    Man in yellow jacket peeking from behind tree, representing reactions to the British queue for the Queen in London.

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    Tweet about a British queue in London where a woman waits five days to see the Queen in state at Westminster.

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    Astronaut waving on the moon, humorously representing the very British queue reaction in London for the Queen's state event.

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    Screenshot of UK government YouTube channel showing live tracking of the very British queue for the Queen in London.

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