People are selling their wristbands from queue for coffin for up to £70k
I'd like to think the majority of people visiting the Queen's coffin do so out of respect and mourning for Her Majesty, but unsurprisingly there are a few people out there who have tried to turn her death into a money-making opportunity.
Hundreds of thousands of people have joined the queue to visit the Queen's coffin as she lies in state in Westminster Hall, but in order to prevent people from cutting in line or saving space, visitors are given wristbands as a record of when they arrived.
The bands are coloured and numbered, but don't have much purpose outside of the context of the queue. However, the fact they're related to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II prompted some queue-joiners to try and flog their bands for big money.
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In the 48 hours since the Queen's coffin went on display on Wednesday (14 September), approximately a dozen listings for used wristbands appeared on online marketplaces.
Three days on, eBay alone has removed dozens of listings for wristbands, with some said to have racked up bids as high as £70,000 before they were removed, according to the Guardian.
A spokesperson for the website explained: “These items are against our policies and we are removing them from our site.” Most sales for tickets to events, even free ones, are prohibited on eBay.
Other listings have been made on the site Gumtree, where wristbands are being advertised for £2,500 and £5,000.
The wristbands are non-transferable, meaning anyone who bought and received a wristband in time would not be able to use it to cut in the queue, but it appears the mere sentiment is enough to drive interest.
One description for a gold wristband reads: "Queen Elizabeth II Lying In State Gold Queue Wristband. Used – see photos from the day! Friday 16th September, 11-hour queue, same day as David Beckham (was about an hour before us). Joined queue before 6am.”
Another band, which is orange and features the royal coat of arms, was already up to £1,000 after just nine bids.
The government website dedicated to lying in state visits explains that the wristband does not guarantee entree into Westminster Hall.
"You must keep this wristband on at all times as it will be checked along the route," it explains. "Your wristband also allows you to leave the queue for a short period to use a toilet or get refreshments, then return to your place in the queue. Public toilets, drinking water and first aid stations are available at designated locations along the queue route."
Alongside the wristbands, some sellers are trying to up the value of their items by throwing in some commemorative newspapers about the Queen's death.
LADbible has reached out to Gumtree and eBay for comment.
Emily Brown