4 April 1942: Princess Margaret Rose (1930 – 2002) and Princess Elizabeth (right, and who later … [+]
Following an outcry on social media, British Cycling has removed advice on its website suggesting people should not cycle “during the Queen’s funeral”.
The advice was apparently not limited to the parts of London where the State Funeral procession will be held on Monday 19 September.
British Cycling has been contacted for this article.
The organization “strongly recommended” that all cyclists in the UK should avoid riding during the Queen’s funeral and procession.
“Out of respect for her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II… British Cycling strongly recommends that anyone riding their bike on the day of a state funeral does so outside the hours of the funeral service and associated processions,” said the original advice, which from the moment removed.
Despite the deletion, some media outlets reported on British Cycling’s original stance, leading some cyclists to worry they could face hostility on Monday for simply riding their bikes.
For example, many of the comments on Twitter about a story from Sky News were abusive towards cyclists, an outcome that those who signed up to British Cycling’s advice should have foreseen.
Queen Elizabeth II has been the patron of Cycling UK, a charity formerly known as the Cyclists’ Touring Club, since its inception in 1952.
