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The Queue
Ben Dean (90-00), Governor of Dulwich College had a significant role in organising both the Platinum Jubilee as well as the Queen’s Funeral . Having accepted a job as the Government’s Director of Sport and Gambling, it was somewhat intimidating when it was decided that the job would also include being in charge of the Government’s planning for the Platinum Jubilee and playing a part in planning arrangements for the Queen’s passing. What certainly helped was having a great team around me, including a former Private Secretary to the Queen whom I recruited to be one of my deputies. The Jubilee remit boiled down to it needing to amaze, balance tradition and innovation, appeal to all and be affordable. Simple really. At its heart was an incredible multi-stakeholder partnership - the Palace, Government, military, police, BBC, Royal Parks, Westminster Council and many others. Coordinating across so many institutions had its challenges and necessitated an incredible mix of skills, but it provided lighter moments such as witnessing how the military’s comprehensive and detailed plan compared to the rather more broad-brush approach of some of the creative partners! The breadth of the Jubilee work took me from reading through advance copies of the book about the Queen that would go to all children to sitting on the panel to advise on what towns should be given ‘city status’. However, the focus was on the core weekend which involved overseeing four very contrasting days, from military parades and the St Paul’s service through to the BBC concert and Jubilee Pageant. There were some nerve-racking moments, such as being Gold Command in the control centre when the storm on the day of the BBC concert threatened to give way to lightning and prompt a decision as to whether to cancel the concert. However, these soon faded as we saw the Paddington moment unfold (the Queen hadn’t even told most of her family about it) and the incredible drone display. Being part of the team, knowing hundreds of thousands had been able to watch live (over 13 million on TV) and showcasing the best of British to audiences around the world was wonderful. Whilst the Jubilee had many challenges, at least we knew the date. Moving from that to the Queen’s passing only three months later was a contrast, but one that we had prepared for. Our role was leading on the Lying-in-State queue. Not always glamorous - who knew portaloo coordination involved so much work! While we knew there would be high demand (the Brits love their queues), it was astounding to see the plans come together so quickly. It was also moving to see the public response, to hear the individual stories of what the Queen had meant to many in the queue, and to see how the queue allowed people to pay their respects.
I was on a History Trip to Russia when the Queen Mother died in 2002. For two days we passed the British Embassy on the Moscow River, with the Union Flag at half mast, before our guide said, ‘Why did you not tell me Queen Elizabeth had died? She was a great supporter of the Soviet Union and personally directed convoys to help us.’ Whether this was true or not, and personally I doubt it, it nonetheless conveyed the importance that was attached to the British Royal Family, even in countries with no monarchies of their own. On returning to London, I decided to file past her coffin. The queue began at St Thomas’s Hospital and took about three hours to reach Westminster Hall. While the hush was the same twenty years later, one difference was that I recall the Hall in 2002 being much darker, perhaps more medieval, with just a few spotlights on the Royal Standard and the Queen Mother’s own crown. The latter sparkled in a way that the Imperial State Crown didn’t in 2022, which left me with the impression that it was as if something had finally been switched off, representing definitively the end of an era. This year the queue began five miles further down river and I arrived at Southwark Park on Friday evening, straight from a History Society meeting in the Masters’ Library. Twelve hours later we reached the Hall. There was a lively atmosphere in the crowd, with some people ahead of me getting a selfie with Charlie from ‘Busted’ (not someone, I have to admit, of whom I’ve ever heard). As the hours passed, the sense of taking part in something important remained, even as the crowds got quieter. From Tower Bridge, where we received our wristbands, each of the major London landmarks produced their own homage to The Queen – HMS Belfast illuminated in purple, wreaths with quotes from Hamlet at the Globe, and newsreels at the BFI. The queuers were from all walks of life, although few with children given the hour, yet all talking and exchanging moments of how the Late Queen touched their own lives. Finally, we crossed Lambeth Bridge, having passed the National COVID Memorial with its wall of hearts, and into the gated lines of the gardens next to the Palace of Westminster. Entering the Hall there were no instructions to be quiet or not to take photos; people seemed instinctively to know what was appropriate. The lights were brighter than in 2002 (I expect for the TV live streaming) but the power remained, as we witnessed something that touched back into the Middle Ages and paid our own personal respects to 70 years of constancy and service. Leaving the Hall, the sun was up, although the normally busy streets of Parliament Square and Whitehall were quiet save for people in small groups now on their way home. Back in Dulwich I walked the dog.
Dr Nick Black, Director of Admissions, Libraries and Archives at Dulwich College
John Howard (45-52)
My last year at Dulwich was in 1952, the year of the state funeral of the late King George VI. Myself and a few of my follow Sea Cadets were picked to line the funeral route from Westminster Abbey to London Paddington station. The coffin was transported by hearse before traveling to Windsor by train. We got up very early to get to our spot on the route, where we had to reverse our rifles as the hearse passed. It was cold, foggy and wet but I was proud to have been selected. There are probably not too many Old Alleynians left who remember this!
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