Ebay removes listings for Queen’s lying in state wristbands selling for up to £70k
The online auction site eBay has removed dozens of listings for wristbands given to people queueing to see the Queen’s coffin as online traders sought to cash in on memorabilia from the occasion.
Some used wristbands were attracting bids of up to £70,000 before they were removed.
An eBay spokesperson said: “These items are against our policies and we are removing them from our site.” Its event ticket policy prohibits the sale of most tickets, including those for events that are free to the public.
The Queen’s lying-in-state at the Palace of Westminster opened to the public at 5pm on Wednesday, and 48 hours later about a dozen people had listed their coloured and numbered paper bands for sale on online marketplaces.
People joining the queue that winds its way around central London to view the coffin are given paper wristbands to mark their place. This allows mourners to leave the queue for a short period to use the lavatory or get refreshments, then return to their spot.
The wristbands, which do not guarantee entry and are strictly non-transferable, have been issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to help manage the huge numbers of people keen to catch a glimpse of the Queen lying in state. Bands have different numbers and colours each day. The DCMS website explains the process for queueing, saying the band is “a record of when you joined the queue”.
One seller’s gold wristband was listed with the description “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.” An orange wristband, which features the royal coat of arms and the abbreviation
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