A woman who was one of the last people to view the late Queen Elizabeth II lying in state had social media users raising their eyebrows after she told the BBC the experience was "better than" when she gave birth to her own children.
Hundreds of thousands of people—including former footballer David Beckham—waited in a queue to see the Queen's coffin for 10 hours or more. At one point, the queue stretched more than five miles long as news outlets around the world dedicated significant coverage to the event.
But for one woman, who was in one of the last if not the last groups of people to see the Queen's coffin before the end of viewing—the experience meant more to her than having her kids.
Speaking to BBC reporter Sophie Ralston when asked to describe her experience, she said:
"Amazing. I think it's the best thing I've ever done in my life, even having my children Lily and Luca."
"I think this tops that."
You can hear the woman's remarks in the video below.
Queen Elizabeth died September 8 at the age of 96, ending her 70-year reign as Britain's longest reigning monarch.
The Queen's funeral procession made its way through the United Kingdom per intrinsically detailed instructions outlined in Operation London Bridge, which include the announcement of her death, the period of official mourning, and the details of her state funeral, which was held yesterday, September 19.
While official numbers are not yet available, the government said last week it expected the Queen's coffin to be visited by at least 750,000 mourners.
But was the experience, somber as it was, more meaningful than having your own children?
People were not too pleased with the woman's comments.
The Queen, long known and respected for her stateliness and vigor, saw her health sharply decline after her husband, the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died at the age of 99 in April 2021.
Questions about the future and relevance of the monarchy persist, particularly as none of the royals enjoy even a hint of the late Queen's popularity.
Last week, in his first address to Parliament at Westminster Hall, Charles pledged to follow the late Queen's "selfless duty" and called Parliament the "living and breathing instrument of our democracy."
The newly-minted King said when very young, his mother "pledged herself to serve her country and her people and to maintain the precious principles of constitutional government which lie at the heart of our nation" and said he had "resolved faithfully to follow."
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