Center Parcs tries to drive visitors out of respect
The single biggest PR disaster of the mourning period surely belongs to Center Parcs. The company initially said guests in the middle of their holiday would have to spend the night of the funeral elsewhere or go home early as it closed for the day. He was accused of ruining people’s holidays. One response that went viral on social media said: “Good luck getting visitors out of the parks. You have trained them in archery, shooting, swimming, canoeing and swinging between trees like monkeys. You basically have five villages-loads of ninjas to clear out.’ The company eventually reversed the decision.
British Cycling says don’t cycle
Also doing a U-turn, which is quite difficult on two wheels, was British Cycling. The sport’s governing body initially issued advice that no one should ride their bikes on the day of the Queen’s funeral out of respect. After howls of protest, she has softened her stance on whether people should be using their bikes at all, but still insists that on bank holiday Monday people should refrain from “cycling sporting events, club rides, coaching sessions and community programs’.
Norwich City Council says don’t park your bike
Cyclists were also outraged in Norwich when a sign was put up reading ‘Advance Warning. Royal period of mourning. This bike rack will be closed from Friday September 9th to Wednesday September 23rd” – no other context. A council spokesman later said the rack was near the location where floral tributes were left and the sign was changed to clarify this, without actually explaining why it would be disrespectful to park bikes near the flowers.
Heathrow is changing flight patterns
When people said that the ritual aspects of national mourning were meticulously planned, this was even limited to the diversion of flights. Those waiting to land or take off at Heathrow Airport between 1.50pm. and 3.40 p.m. on Wednesday they found themselves in alternative arrangements as the west London airport adjusted its schedule “out of respect” and to ensure silent skies over the Queen’s coffin procession. The same is expected to happen on Monday for the funeral.
There isn’t a day without a car in Hammersmith
Also embarking on a public relations shift over transport arrangements was Hammersmith and Fulham council in west London, which announced it was canceling a “car-free day” in the borough following the monarch’s death. Critics joked that people zooming down the high street in their SUVs would be just what the Queen would want. The council had originally advertised the event as a market for “local makers and craftsmanship”, live music, free face-painting workshops and a children’s circus.
Morrisons lowers the beeps
The supermarket chain came under fire amid reports on social media that it had disabled automated beeps at the self-service checkout. A spokesman denied this was the case, explaining that they had only been turned down as “our music and Tannoy announcements have been switched off in stores”.
An honor guard of tractors
When the Queen’s hearse first started its journey from Balmoral to Edinburgh on Sunday, it was greeted at one point by a tractor guard of honour. You’re looking for all the world like what you see during the helicopter shots of the Tour de France. Robbie Moore, the Conservative MP for Keighley and Ilkley in West Yorkshire, described it as “very moving” and “an incredible example of pure respect”. Very touching. Incredible display of pure respect. Farmers have formed a guard of honor with their tractors for the late Queen as she passes through Aberdeenshire on her way to Edinburgh. pic.twitter.com/D5eMrDPIQn — Robbie Moore MP (@_RobbieMoore) September 11, 2022
Dan Wootton and his public flower placement
GB News presenter Dan Wootton, who previously criticized Harry and Meghan for being photographed visiting a war memorial on Remembrance Sunday 2020, posted an elaborate video of himself laying flowers at Buckingham Palace in a moment “a little peace” as he said. reflection”. Described by broadcaster India Willoughby as “one of the Woke-Finder generals of Britain’s far-right media”, Wootton’s self-promotional video was shared even more widely after someone reversed and re-uploaded it so it looked like secretly stole flowers from tributes left by the public.
Keeping the weather a secret
In a nasty tweet, the Met Office told its followers: “As a mark of respect during this period of national mourning, we will only be publishing daily forecasts and warnings.” What this meant was that it would not provide any other loose content during the period, only the weather service. However, followers interpreted this to mean that the public would only be informed about the weather one day at a time. Why she felt the need to tell everyone her social media content strategy remains a mystery.
But there was always the internet as a respite from wall-to-wall grieving
While some businesses and organizations in the UK wanted to show their grief, those outside the UK have felt no such compulsion, especially satirical websites in the US. Within hours of the Queen’s death, Clickhole had published the latest of its articles it claimed were badly typed on a computer by the late monarch, I Maybe Be Died, But My LEgacty Will Live On Inside Computertr, while the Onion he was running in a hurry. Rude and funny obituaries that reflect genuine criticism of the monarchy and the royal family and a slanted look at the way the media operates in these circumstances. It had a title [NOTE: Do Not Run Until Fucking Queen Is Dead Or People Will Lose Their Shit] Queen Elizabeth has died aged 96.
