‘Queue-pid’: Strangers meeting in queue to see the Queen spark romantic movie comparisons

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Two strangers who met and spent at least 12 hours in the queue to pay their respects to the Queen may have sparked the romance movie of the decade.

The mourners, named Jack and Zoe, were interviewed by Channel 4 News on Saturday (17 September) as they waited in line to enter Westminster Hall, where Queen Elizabeth II is lying in state.

The pair appeared to have hit it off during their long wait in the public queue, which they said they had been in since 10.30pm on Friday night.

In fact, they hit it off so well that they were planning to watch the Queen’s funeral together on Monday (19 September).

Speaking to news anchor Minnie Stephenson, Jack said: “We’ve been with each other throughout the whole thing. We’ve actually got loads of things in common.”

Asked if they would stay in touch, Zoe chimed in: “Yeah, 100 per cent.”

“We’re going to the funeral on Monday together,” Jack added.

Zoe said that her wait in the queue went by “so quickly” thanks to “sharing stories, having laughs and … good chat” with Jack.

Twitter users were quick to compare the pair’s meeting to a romance movie, with some joking that director Richard Curtis, who is famous for his romcom hits including Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral, was already on the case.

“I think we all know that Richard Curtis has been writing #TheQueue for the last couple of days… Might now be ‘based on a true story’,” one person said.

Another predicted: “Richard Curtis romcom called The Queue, back end of 2023, cameo by David Beckham. Just warning you.”

Jack and Zoe’s meeting also sparked all manner of puns, such as “meet-queue-t” and “queue-pid”.

Others found the interaction sweet and refreshing during what has been a sad time for many, with one person writing: “I love meeting people like this. Especially after two years of being locked up in isolation, it’s so important that we no longer be alone. What a beautiful thing to connect over.”

Another added: “I was hoping a couple might fall in love after meeting in the queue. I wish this couple all the best if that happens. I’m such an old romantic!”

According to the government’s live tracker of the lying-in-state queue, at the time of writing, mourners joining it will have to wait an estimated 13.5 hours before they reach Westminster Hall.

While the late Queen’s lying-in-state will end at 6.30am on Monday, organisers of the queue have warned that it will be closed well before this so people do not join the line too late and fail to reach Westminster Hall in time.

A service will be held at 11am, followed by a nationwide two-minute silence at 11.55am. The Queen’s funeral procession will then begin at 12.15am, with the monarch making her final journey through London to St George’s Chapel in Windsor.

Follow the latest updates following the death of Queen Elizabeth II here