The day of the Queen’s state funeral, Monday 19 September, has been declared a public holiday and schools and offices will be closed. Mourners in London have lined up for more than four miles to see the Queen lie in state at Westminster Hall. Across the country, events such as concerts, sporting events and strikes have been canceled and rolling news coverage and programs about the Queen have dominated radio and television schedules. Civil liberties groups criticized the police response, following the arrests of anti-monarchy protesters. Here, Guardian readers share their views on the period of national mourning and reveal how they have been personally affected.
“We cannot force the country into a stalemate”
Shekinah Opara, “simply not interested” in the ongoing coverage of the Queen’s death and being in the situation. Shekinah Opara, 23, who works in legal services, said it was “understandable” that the Queen’s death should receive “such a significant national response, full of tradition”. “However, we cannot force the country into a stalemate. The notion that the country is united in gratitude, admiration and grief is simply wrong. For me, the Queen’s death has provided a glimmer of hope that Britain’s delusions of national identity – which are tied to antiquated institutions such as empire and monarchy – can finally be fought and stopped.” Opara says she cares less about the news and was sad to see the football matches cancelled. “I appreciated Afua Hirsch’s article on the Queen’s death, which is the first thing I saw and reflects how I’ve always felt about the monarchy. “I’m concerned about how dissenting voices will be dealt with, although the arrests we’re seeing really aren’t surprising.”
“Cancelling events does not honor the Queen’s memory”
Andrew Grieve wants an end to the cancellation of events. “You want to commemorate the queen, fine, then do something. Don’t just cancel things.’ London-based father-of-two Andrew Grieve wants an end to the cancellation of events. “You want to commemorate the queen, fine, then do something. Don’t just cancel things.” He disagrees with the FA’s decision to cancel all football matches last weekend – even grassroots games. “How about stopping children running around on a Saturday morning in memory of the Queen? Is not. Does not make sense.” He worries about small businesses being affected by event cancellations. “Business has had a pretty tough time during the pandemic,” he said.
“I am furious that MPs are not going back to work”
Frances, 69, was surprised by some of the emotions the Queen’s death evoked in her. “I’m anti-monarchist, but I felt a sense of loss.” However, he believes that a ten-day period of national mourning is too long. “I don’t think the TV channels should be dealing with the Queen all the time.” She is “absolutely furious” that politicians don’t return to work until after the funeral, especially since parliament will be adjourned two days later for party conference season. “They will be in recess for all but one day, at a time when the country is in a desperate crisis. I think it goes without saying. And I think the Conservative Party is milking the national mourning period for all it can get from it.”
“The arrest of protesters is worrying”
Rosie Weir, from Belfast, believes that mourning traditions should be respected but that the arrests of pro-democracy protesters are unjustified. Rosie Weir, 28, from Belfast, is a lifelong republican who works for a royal charity. “I was very surprised by how upset I was last Thursday. I believe my sadness was due to my personal experience of seeing the good that the royal family inspires every day.” He believes those who want to mourn should be allowed to, and finds the mood of national grief “completely understandable”. “However, news of arrests of people holding signs protesting the monarchy is extremely worrying. We have a history and culture of peaceful protest in this country and that is something a democratic nation should be proud of.”
“We need some fairy-tale glitz and competition”
Diana Luther Powell believes that the period of mourning is a welcome opportunity for the nation to have some respite from the country’s prevailing “gloomy” atmosphere. Diana Luther Powell, a 75-year-old Quaker prison chaplain from Barnsley, believes a 10-day mourning period is necessary. “The period of national mourning is to be expected, though it must seem a mystery to those who come from places without a monarchy – a throwback to old times when men touched their hats and children were well-behaved.” That’s illusory, he said, adding that perhaps “a bit of fairytale polish and theatrics” was needed at the moment. “Life will be very bleak after that. She felt like she would always be there, like the queens in the story books. Even though we knew it wouldn’t be.”
“It’s over the top”
Iain is upset about the collective public claims that the entire nation is mourning the loss of the Queen. Iain, a 38-year-old IT professional from London, finds the period of national mourning “really over the top”. More irritating, he said, are all the public statements that claim everyone is grieving. “That is not true. I understand that many people are, and that the Queen was popular with many. But the fact that dissent or even indifference is not tolerated, let alone acknowledged, I find disrespectful.” In the news, he was surprised to hear the Queen described as a person who went about her business “without fuss”, noting that she wore a “literal crown” and traveled in a golden carriage, with footmen and trumpets playing.
“Magnanimity is hard to stomach at a time when the country is in turmoil”
Maithreyi, whose father would have “loved” the grandeur of the queen’s mourning period, he says, has mixed feelings. Maithreyi, a writer and interpreter from Bristol, was “very saddened” by the Queen’s death. “It lasted about a day and a bit. Now, I’m pretty sick of this fetishization of medieval fantasy and this over-the-top approach.” In recent days, she says, “they’ve made it clear that I’m not a royalist,” although she believes her late father, “a devoted royalist,” would have loved “that grand funeral.” “I had respect for the Queen – her devotion to duty at her age was admirable. The monarchy, to me, represents very little and I am amazed to see how eager people seem to be to see it continue in all its pomp and anachronistic practices. “I would love to see the royal family disbanded and their land and wealth redistributed – it’s hard to hear the King bigotrying his own son when the whole country is under so much financial pressure.”
“Protesters and Republicans show lack of decency”
Colin Wood, a retired teacher from New Zealand, believes it is “absolutely right and proper to show respect for a wonderful monarch who served our country and the Commonwealth for so long and so well”. He believes the Queen’s death has exposed the “evil side” of many people. “I am appalled at the lack of humanity and common decency shown by protesters and republicans raising their issues before the Queen has even laid to rest.”
“My kids will miss another day of school”
David Watkins is ‘fed up’ with coverage of Queen’s death. David Watkins, a 54-year-old from Porthcawl, is “bored senseless” by the coverage and is annoyed that his children – who he says have missed enough school due to the pandemic – will miss another bank holiday day. . His partner will also lose a day’s wages, he said. “The opinions of people who do not support the monarchy are completely ignored. Indeed, many people in positions of power probably pretend to support the whole travesty for fear of damaging their position in society if they dare to oppose it. “My children are not in the least interested in the Queen and if anything they are upset that the relevant bank holiday did not coincide with a double maths day.”
