The already famous “London Bridge Operation” or specific protocol that has governed the celebrations until now and will mark the final stretch of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II continues to make people talk in a way that is surely unexpected for its organizers.
Reviewed and approved by the monarch herself in life, the script to be followed at the royal funeral staged a series of remarkable situations that riskily pushed the intended gravity to the margins of a parodic effect, as portrayed by local and foreign media.
Perhaps the most recent episode of the eventful celebrations has been the undeniable booing of the brand new Carlos III –recorded by live cameras– this Friday, at the end of his tour, in Wales, where a large group of protesters insulted him while waving banners asking ” Abolition of the monarchy”, “Citizen, not subject” and “Democracy now”.
Despite the proverbial British precision, imperial logistics have shown cracks in the challenge of coordinating the massive royal burial. It was not a success, for example, the organization of the line so that the subjects give the last goodbye to the deceased sovereign
The protests led, in turn, to other uncomfortable incidents; Too many protesters were arrested for expressing themselves against the heir to the throne who gained visibility these days with paradigmatic phrases such as “Who has chosen him?!”
It is that many citizens see, in the death of Elizabeth II, the opportunity to terminate the benefits and representativeness of the royal house as a whole, which they consider parasitic and useless.
The punished figure of the former Prince of Wales does not help the continuity of the monarchical tradition – whose popularity, never too high, has been plummeting since his infidelity with Lady Diana Spencer, much more beloved than him among his compatriots. Carlos started his cycle with the wrong foot: “Oh, god, I hate it! (…) I can’t stand that damn thing” blasphemed the new king when struggling with a pen that lost ink when he tried to sign the book of honor according to marks the assumption protocol.
Even less comfortable was the presence of Carlos’ brother, Andrés, who was prosecuted in a strident case for pedophilia. This situation was not avoided during the procession of the queen’s coffin to the cathedral of San Giles, where a 22-year-old man rebuked him, shouting “Sick old man! Before being arrested by the Scottish police, as reported by CNN.
can fail
Despite the proverbial British precision, imperial logistics have shown cracks in the challenge of coordinating the massive royal burial. It was not a success, for example, the organization of the line so that the subjects give the last goodbye to the deceased sovereign.
This Friday, getting to Westminster Hall – where the coffin of Elizabeth II will remain until Monday – required joining an eight kilometer queue – about twenty-four hours of waiting – where more than a million applicants exceeded the planned capacity, which led to authorities to suspend access, and reopen it this Saturday.
The row in question was a source of varied color details, beginning with the color palette shown by the tents mounted on the cement where the pilgrims spent the night, to the confusion caused by certain famous presences, such as that of the star David Beckham, who he stood stoically for more than twelve hours to pay his respects before the royal coffin.
The shortage of chemical toilets and health services to contain such a crowd were, among other data, details that completed a chaotic scenario.
There were also episodes of tension when more than one attendant tried to embrace the coffin. There was even a man in his forties who threw himself into the queen’s coffin, after which he was immediately neutralized by the surrounding guard.
Marches and counter-marches confused the logistical teams of the more than 500 leaders and VIP guests, involving Joe Biden himself when the American refused to participate in the official delegation that would meet him with his peers from around the world at the Royal Chelsea Hospital from where they would depart. distributed in vehicles arranged ad hoc by the organization to Westminster.
Faced with the dilemma, Biden was finally allowed to go to the final farewell of the royal remains aboard “The Beast”, the famous and cinematographic armored car that the Pentagon has for its presidents.
Nor was it easy to reconcile the presence of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle. It is that the reddish royal grandson, as is known, opportunely renounced his successor titles, based on which he was excluded from that privileged list of 500 people, according to the Telegraph newspaper.
In addition to the presidents and celebrities, the guests at the final phase of the funeral are more than 2,000. In order to guard such a mobilization, the deployment of 10,000 police officers and 1,500 soldiers was arranged. According to Assistant Deputy Commissioner Stuart Cundy, quoted by the AFP news agency “It will be the largest event that the London Police have guarded in their history.”
Monday’s ceremony will be estimated to be viewed by more than 4 billion people on social media and television. Numbers that overwhelm and at the same time show the relevance that incidents not scheduled by the organizers have gained.
The most popular queen inherited by the least indicated prince. A meticulous “operative” that radiates failures of all kinds. A death that brings as much genuflection as irreverence, unexpected logistical changes, sloppiness and mismanagement that could be consigned as the “B side” of the majestic funeral combine the rugged imperial trance that few imagined.
Evoking that lyrics by Gustavo Ceratti: “What is eccentric above, is ridiculous below”, let’s say, from a pious look, that on this occasion the eccentric British power undressed with its collection of unusual details leading to something almost more decadent than glamorous.
