400K-person lineup to see queen’s coffin could be ‘horrible’ and gruelling, say experts

The line to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is likely to be one of the longest that London has ever seen.

The lineup to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II is growing by the hour and some are warning that there could be “horrible stories of suffering” for mourners who could wait upwards of 30 hours to file past the coffin.

The British government has told the public to “be prepared for long queues” and said they’re stationing thousands of security and support staff and volunteers along the kilometres-long line to help keep people safe.

The line to view the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is likely to be one of the longest that London has ever seen — authorities have planned for the lineup to stretch 16 kilometres.

“What we’re seeing this week and what we are going to see on Monday (the day of the funeral) is of an order of magnitude we simply haven’t seen before,” royal biographer Robert Hardman told Global National host Dawna Friesen.

Hardman is the author of Queen of Our Times: The Life of Queen Elizabeth II and has covered the British monarchy for three decades.

The line already stretches from Parliament, across nearby Lambeth Bridge and along the opposite bank of the River Thames.

Despite the assurances of heavy security and public warnings, some are warning that things could get dire.

“I have a fear that we might be sleepwalking into a really difficult situation,” Johnathan Haslam, chief communications secretary for former U.K. prime minister John Major, told Times Radio.