God Save The King

[The Larch]

Slight caveat is the Premier League because I'm not sure what they were told by the police. It seems striking that with the Premier League back this weekend there's only two games in London: Spurs and Brentford. The Chelsea game and the Brighton-Palace have been postponed which suggests to me there might limits on the number/size of events in London.

According to what I heard it depends on the risk assessment for each match and the availability of police resources to address them. Thus, low risk games will be played and high risk ones won't. For instance, the Leeds - Man United won't be played either, as police from all over the UK have been deployed in London for the funeral. This also covers European competitions, as the Arsenal - PSV has also been postponed, while other games like the Chelsea - Salzburg were allowed to be played.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Yes, I was just thinking that a full football programme would require a lot of police and they will be needed for the funeral.

[Sheilbh]

According to what I heard it depends on the risk assessment for each match and the availability of police resources to address them. Thus, low risk games will be played and high risk ones won't. For instance, the Leeds - Man United won't be played either, as police from all over the UK have been deployed in London for the funeral. This also covers European competitions, as the Arsenal - PSV has also been postponed, while other games like the Chelsea - Salzburg were allowed to be played.

That makes sense. Brighton-Palace is basically a bit of a derby so even though it's in Brighton I imagine it needs a lot of police including from London (I think forces cooperate for football games - but I'm not sure how it works). Chelsea-Liverpool also strikes me as a higher risk match requiring more policy, than the other London games. Brentford-Arsenal is not a major derby in the calendar

[The Larch]

According to what I heard it depends on the risk assessment for each match and the availability of police resources to address them. Thus, low risk games will be played and high risk ones won't. For instance, the Leeds - Man United won't be played either, as police from all over the UK have been deployed in London for the funeral. This also covers European competitions, as the Arsenal - PSV has also been postponed, while other games like the Chelsea - Salzburg were allowed to be played.

That makes sense. Brighton-Palace is basically a bit of a derby so even though it's in Brighton I imagine it needs a lot of police including from London (I think forces cooperate for football games - but I'm not sure how it works). Chelsea-Liverpool also strikes me as a higher risk match requiring more policy, than the other London games. Brentford-Arsenal is not a major derby in the calendar

One of the factors taken into account is how many away fans will travel for the game, it seems. I guess they were expecting plenty of Palace fans to make the trip to Brighton for the game, and police have to monitor them, so the more away fans are expected, the more police is needed. Maybe this is not taken into account for intra-city matches?

[The Larch]

Ok, this is getting creepy.

[Sheilbh]

That strikes me as fairly sensible - just to have a livestream. Not least because the lying at rest in Edinburgh was for 24 hours and there was always a queue. The London lying in state will be for more days but the plans allow for a queue of up to 10 miles (with coloured and numbered wristbands so people can go to the loo etc).

So an online alternative for those so inclined seems like a sensible option.

I find the protocol shaped mourning/grieving for the family very weird though. I think in Scotland they did a "vigil of the princes" were the Queen's four children stood around her coffin for an hour - but there's still the lying at rest so members of the public shuffling past. But then I noticed that Princess Anne put out a statement yesterday and it clicked that of course it's all about precedence - so Charles did his on Friday, William on Saturday, Harry on Monday (with an eye on the US he didn't want to issue a statement on 9/11). Now it's Anne next, presumably (and awkwardly), will be Andrew and then Edward. It is all so weird.

[The Larch]

That strikes me as fairly sensible - just to have a livestream.

A livestream of a coffin? 

I find the protocol shaped mourning/grieving for the family very weird though. I think in Scotland they did a "vigil of the princes" were the Queen's four children stood around her coffin for an hour - but there's still the lying at rest so members of the public shuffling past. But then I noticed that Princess Anne put out a statement yesterday and it clicked that of course it's all about precedence - so Charles did his on Friday, William on Saturday, Harry on Monday (with an eye on the US he didn't want to issue a statement on 9/11). Now it's Anne next, presumably (and awkwardly), will be Andrew and then Edward. It is all so weird.

Slight vibes of the Death of Stalin scene with all the Politburo juggling for positions around the coffin.

[The Brain]

-Did Coco Chanel take a shit on your head?
-No, he did not.

[Sheilbh]

A livestream of a coffin? 

Doesn't strike me as any weirder than waiting for hours to walk past a coffin, just online.

Slight vibes of the Death of Stalin scene with all the Politburo juggling for positions around the coffin.

I suppose that's where the precedence helps out, unless Princess Anne is Khrushcheving on the side

Although it also reminds me of Diana's funeral when I think they did that vigil. It's odd because at the time I think the public felt absolutely entitled to be furious at the lack of recognition of public grief by the royals ("SHOW US YOU CARE"). I think there's now a fair degree of shame at making children display their grief to sate our appetites.

Always reminds me of that amazing Hilary Mantel essay form when William got married and the pandas line:

I used to think that the interesting issue was whether we should have a monarchy or not. But now I think that question is rather like, should we have pandas or not? Our current royal family doesn't have the difficulties in breeding that pandas do, but pandas and royal persons alike are expensive to conserve and ill-adapted to any modern environment. But aren't they interesting? Aren't they nice to look at? Some people find them endearing; some pity them for their precarious situation; everybody stares at them, and however airy the enclosure they inhabit, it's still a cage.

[Sheilbh]

Re livestreams, there is one of the graphic of how long the queue is
https://youtu.be/9NpZuGxSgZY

Edit: Also -
Too much 49%
About right 41%
Too little 2%

I am in awe of the 2%.

[Valmy]

Ok, this is getting creepy.

I don't know. We have people lay in state as well. I saw Lady Bird Johnson laying there in 2007. Maybe it is just something we do here in the English speaking world.

[Sheilbh]

Actually even more amazed by the Queue. The main infrastructure is for 7 miles, with an additional 3 miles in Southwark Park. At its longest it will be more than two hours - at a good pace:


There are over 1,000 volunteers, stewards, marshals and police at any time. 750 professional stewards per shift, 100 volunteer civil servants, 30 members of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry charity (wut?), plus the police and military. There's also 10 members of the Red Cross, 30 multifaith pastors (coordinated by Lambeth Palace/the Archbishop of Canterbury), six trained Samaritans, two BSL interpreters.

There's also volunteers from the Red Cross, Scouts, Samaritans, St John Ambulance for the wider events. The National Theatre (on the route) is open to people for the loos and to buy refreshments while they wait from 10am to 11am - and they're opening an area 24 hours with kiosks for refreshments.

There's a site (Back of the Queue) which is sourcing its info from social media and is more accurate than the DCMS tracker. It's already 3 miles long. There are water points, loos, wristbands so you can leave get refreshment or go to the loo. But you can't take, say, a sleeping bag or chair because it's always shuffling forward.

It is simultaneously deeply, deeply mad, but somehow weirdly kind and considerate.

I will normally join absolutely any crowd I see, but there is absolutely no way I'll be going anywhere near this

[The Larch]

Ok, this is getting creepy.

I don't know. We have people lay in state as well. I saw Lady Bird Johnson laying there in 2007. Maybe it is just something we do here in the English speaking world.

It's the livestreaming that I find creepy, not the laying in state.

[Valmy]

I will normally join absolutely any crowd I see, but there is absolutely no way I'll be going anywhere near this

Ah man. You gotta go and tell us how weird it is. When are you going to have the next chance to see something like this?

[Valmy]

It's the livestreaming that I find creepy, not the laying in state.

Ah. Is that weird? It just seems normal in the 2020s 

Every thing gets freaking livestreamed.