LONDON — British people are renowned for several great cultural contributions to the world: the works of Shakespeare, afternoon tea, Beatlemania, grabbing a cheeky Nando's, and uncomfortable comedy TV shows that are later remade by Americans into more crowd-pleasing sitcoms.
But those pale in comparison to the UK's greatest tradition: the queue.
Britons love to form a queue and wait patiently, whether it be to use an ATM at the bank, to board the tube, or to pay their respects to their late monarch.
Ever since the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrived at the Palace of Westminster (aka the British Parliament building) on Wednesday, countless scores of people have waited in a miles-long queue in central London to have a chance to say a final goodbye.
The Queue, as it has come to be called simply, is serious business.
Public toilets have been set up, while first-aid tents and water stations have also been erected.
The government has even set up a live tracker to give people an estimate of how long the wait times are and how far it stretches.
When the coffin arrived at Westminster and the public was first allowed in, some diehards had waited well over 24 hours to be among the first to pay their respects.
By Thursday evening, the crowds had thinned (somewhat) and the line was moving (somewhat) faster. But earlier in the day, many were still experiencing wait times of about four to five hours or more.
This aerial footage — do watch the whole thing because it's astonishing — will give you a sense of just how far it goes.
The queue to see the Queen's coffin is now more than four miles long and stretches from Westminster Hall past Tower Bridge - and continues to grow. Latest: https://t.co/BP4jNj9xyT
"I think it's quite a mark of respect, the amount of people that are committed to being patient and queuing," one volunteer queue steward told BuzzFeed News of the massive line. "Even if it rained, I think they'd still be here."
Kate Fryer, a National Health Service worker who traveled from Kent, braved the queue for five hours on her own and with a bad hip.
The 44-year-old, who was supported with a walking stick, commended organizers for making the grueling process as accessible as possible for those with mobility issues.
"They've been so good. It's so well organized," she told BuzzFeed News.
When they reach the end of the line, mourners enter the solemn scene at Westminster Hall, where the Queen's coffin is lying in state, surrounded by ceremonial guards with a glittering crown lying on top.
A livestream from the BBC shows those queuing silently stopping beside the coffin. Some bow, some cry, but all feel a sense of history that seems hard to describe for those in line.
here is the amazing @SincerelyAde asking a group of students what made them come to queue to see the casket of the late queen
The Queen's coffin will lie in state at Westminster Hall until Monday, when her funeral will take place across the street in Westminster Abbey.
The queue is expected to continue until then — as are the queue jokes and memes, which have dominated timelines around the world.
Here are 17 of the very best to keep you smiling if it's 3 a.m. in London and you're stuck in the queue.
1.
If you’re British, this is the queue you’ve been training for all your life. The final boss of queues.
2.
Queue is such a great word. The actual important letter, and then four more silently waiting behind it in a line.
3.
Tell me this isn't the greatest bit of British performance art that has ever happened? I'm giddy with joy. It's fantastic. We are a deeply, deeply mad people with an absolutely unshakeable need to join a queue. It's utterly glorious.
4.
Its 2023.William is on the throne. The funeral for Elizabeth went on so long Charles died before it ended. The queue to see his body was added to the one to see the queen and starts at Tebay services on the M6. Tmrw marks the 1st anniversary of the center parcs massacre.
5.
The Queue, 2025. Olivia Coleman stars as a Royal fanatic who must queue for 5 days to see a box covered in flags, all whilst dealing with her impending divorce and her 96 year old mother's health issues. Could be a drama or a Britcom, open to offers.
6.
The producers of The Crown watching the queue and thinking about how many extras they're gonna need to pay for season 9
7.
How ‘The Queue’ isn't called the Elizabeth Line is beyond me.
8.
oh god there’s going to be a twee Richard Curtis film about The Queue isn’t there. Lily James will fall in love with a plucky steward played by whichever non-threatening 20-something male actor happens to be free and IT WILL BE AWFUL
9.
I get stressed when the News pulls people from the queue to interview them, because I worry they'll lose their place and have to go to the back again.
10.
When you've been in the Queue for Westminster Hall for 25 hrs.
11.
If you watch every episode of "The Crown" back-to-back, it takes 28hrs 58minutes, which means if you do it in the queue and take an hour for lunch, you'll arrive at her coffin perfectly on time to be a 'live' final episode.
12.
There's reports that people are arriving to just look at "The Queue". Not join it. Just look at it. If too many people do that, they'll need to set up a queue to look at "The Queue".
13.
I’ve been running some simulations on what happens if the queue continues to grow and I’m afraid to say the predictions are… concerning.
14.
The queue has just reached Sheffield.
15.
The year is 2023. The Queue is still growing. Paddington Bear is now our Overlord. Marmalade sandwiches are compulsory with every meal. If you don't, you are imprisoned in Center Parcs. The UK has rejoined the EU to allow frictionless movement after The Queue reached France.
16.
Compromise position: privatise the monarchy and turn it into a subscription service, you pay a monthly fee for exclusive access to the various queues, livestreams, garden parties, a princess will open your leisure centre, when you turn 100 you get a letter etc
17.
Just found the back of the queue. #QueueForTheQueen
Ade Onibada and Ikran Dahir reported from London. David Mack reported from New York City.