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Royal Family Reacts to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield Cutting in Line
In September 2022, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, the then-co-hosts of ITV’s This Morning, found themselves at the center of a public storm dubbed “Queuegate.” The controversy erupted when they were spotted inside Westminster Hall, where Queen Elizabeth II was lying in state, without having joined the miles-long public queue that stretched across London. While the incident sparked outrage among mourners and viewers, speculation has swirled about how the Royal Family itself responded to the duo’s perceived line-cutting. As of March 24, 2025, no official public statement from the royals exists, but the episode’s fallout offers clues to their possible stance.
The Incident That Sparked Fury
On September 16, 2022, Willoughby and Schofield visited Westminster Hall to film a segment for This Morning. Unlike the thousands who waited up to 24 hours—including David Beckham, who queued for 13 hours—they entered via a separate media access point, accredited as journalists. Images of them inside the hall, bypassing the public line, went viral, prompting accusations of entitlement. A Change.org petition to “axe” them from TV amassed over 75,000 signatures, and social media erupted with cries of “Holly and Phil jumped the queue!”
The pair addressed the backlash on air on September 20, with Willoughby insisting, “We were given official permission to access the hall… strictly for reporting… Please know that we would never jump a queue.” ITV backed them, clarifying they “did not file past the Queen” but worked from a press gallery. Still, the explanation failed to quell public anger, with many—like TikTok users who captioned clips of them walking past the queue “the walk of shame”—feeling it looked unfair, regardless of intent.
The Royal Family’s Silent Reaction
No direct reaction from King Charles III, Prince William, or other senior royals has ever been documented about this incident. The Royal Family typically avoids commenting on media controversies unless they directly involve royal protocol or security, and “Queuegate” fell outside that scope. However, their actions during the Queen’s lying-in-state period offer a subtle contrast. Prince William and Prince Harry, then still navigating their own tensions, made an unannounced visit to thank mourners in the queue on September 17, walking among the public and shaking hands—a gesture widely praised as humble and respectful.
Royal expert Rhiannon Mills, speaking to Sky News in 2022, noted the family’s focus was on honoring the Queen’s legacy, not policing media access. Yet, the royals’ visible engagement with the queue—William later called it “emotional” on X—highlighted a stark difference from Willoughby and Schofield’s swift entry. Some speculate this disparity wasn’t lost on the Palace, though any disapproval remained private. “The royals wouldn’t have cared about Holly and Phil specifically,” a source close to Palace circles told The Express anonymously in 2022, “but they were acutely aware of public sentiment. Anything that looked like privilege during that time was a risk.”
A Wider Context of Public Mood
The Queue itself became a symbol of national unity and equality, with everyone from Beckham to everyday citizens enduring the wait. BBC’s Huw Edwards subtly jabbed at queue-skippers on air, praising Beckham’s 12-hour stint, which some saw as an implicit dig at the This Morning duo. The Palace, attuned to this mood, likely noted the backlash—over 400 Ofcom complaints hit ITV, and Domino’s Pizza even trolled the pair with a cheeky “Sorry, Holly and Phil, we don’t skip queues” ad. A royal reaction, if any, would’ve been shaped by this public fury rather than personal offense.
Schofield later reflected on the ordeal in a 2023 BBC interview, admitting, “What are the two things you don’t screw up? The Queen and a queue.” He claimed he and Willoughby were “shell-shocked” by the reaction, suggesting the Palace might’ve been equally surprised by how it ballooned. Yet, with no royal comment, their stance remains inferred. “The royals don’t meddle in TV spats,” royal historian Robert Lacey told GB News in 2023, “but they’re not blind to optics. Holly and Phil’s move didn’t align with the moment’s tone.”
Aftermath and Shifting Dynamics
By 2025, Willoughby and Schofield’s careers have diverged—her with Netflix’s Celebrity Bear Hunt and his with Channel 5’s Cast Away—but “Queuegate” lingers as a defining misstep. The Royal Family, now under King Charles III, has moved on, focusing on slimming down the monarchy and public service. If they reacted at all, it was likely a quiet sigh at a PR blunder that clashed with the Queen’s final farewell, not a formal rebuke. For Willoughby, who once met Charles at Buckingham Palace in 2023, and Schofield, whose rift with her deepened post-ITV, the royals’ silence speaks louder than words: a lesson in decorum left unsaid but keenly felt.
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