Researchers: Collective grief will help heal the nation
The outpouring of tributes to the Queen has been good for the health of the nation, experts say.
Researchers in human behaviour have been studying the interactions between the mourners waiting hours to pay their last respects to the Queen. And they believe the collective grief has been a healthy thing, a way of pulling together during a time of change.
Mhairi Bowe, assistant professor of psychology at Heriot-watt University, said: “It has been a good thing for so many people to be able share a collective grief and outpouring of emotion, and for them to be able to do so knowing they are surrounded by others who share their feelings.
“We have seen young and old coming together, comforting each other and taking care of each other as they queue for many hours, sometimes in the cold and in discomfort, just so they can pay their respects.”
Researchers up and down the country have seen outpourings of raw grief similar to those displayed for the first time in Britain following the death of Princess Diana in 1997.
Bowe said: “Although we have all been expecting the Queen’s passing, of course because of her age, it was still a shock for many. That is why they reacted much in the same way as people did on the death of Princess Diana.
“For many who served the Queen, perhaps in the forces or for those who had an opportunity to meet her, there was a real sense of wanting to do their duty by her.
“The queues were filled with people sharing their own stories. There was laughter as well as overwhelming emotion mixed with solemnity.
“It was interesting to watch how the common bond turned total strangers into friends, sharing an experience so unique. They came together almost as a family.
“We found varied reasons for people joining the queues of mourners, with many parents bringing their children so they can look back and say they were part of a significant moment in history, to others who simply wanted to give back something of themselves to a Queen who gave so much of herself.
“In Scotland, the overwhelming feeling was that the Queen considered this country
to be very special to her, and people we spoke to had a very clear affection for her.”