We explain why many people feel that far fewer people wished to honour the memory of Her Majesty than the memory of the Princess of Wales.
The British began to gather at Buckingham Palace as soon as it was announced on September 8 that Her Majesty Elizabeth II was unwell. After the official announcement of the Queen’s death, the number of people wishing to honor her memory with flowers, letters, or symbolic gifts increased several times. However, the number of memorable gifts to the monarch that can be seen at the gates of the palace today still cannot be compared with how many flowers and gifts were brought after the death of Princess Diana in 1997. Is it really true that the Queen, who has ruled the United Kingdom for 70 years, is loved less than the Queen of Wales? In fact, this is not so. We will tell you why.
During the mourning for Princess Diana, the number of bouquets, photographs and memorabilia was so huge that they completely blocked the passages to Buckingham and Kensington Palaces. This was a hindrance to both passers-by and court staff. And so now, during the mourning in honor of Elizabeth II, the British government has introduced a number of restrictions.
Firstly, the Cabinet Office has fenced off specific areas for memorials in London, Windsor, Sandringham, Belfast, Edinburgh, Balmoral and Cardiff. Secondly, flowers and gifts are regularly cleared away by clearing the pavements. This is why the memorial to the late Queen looks less grand.
In Diana’s case, the memorial was spontaneous and was not removed until after the princess’s funeral. As a result, Buckingham and Kensington Palaces (and several other places) ended up with a total of 10-15 tons of bouquets, consisting of approximately 60 million flowers. Interestingly, after the farewell ceremony for Lady Di, the plants were collected and used as compost in the gardens of Kensington Palace, fresher flowers were sent to hospitals and nursing homes, and toys were donated to children in need.
If we compare the number of subjects who wanted to bring something memorable to the memorials of Diana and Elizabeth II, then many more people came to honor the memory of Her Majesty the Queen.
Since September 14, the coffin with the remains of Elizabeth II has been in Westminster Hall, where anyone can say goodbye to the Queen in person. For this, thousands of Britons have lined up in a huge queue, the wait in which takes several hours. The funeral of the monarch is scheduled for September 19 and will take place in Westminster Abbey
