Dear Mary: Can I save someone a spot in the queue to pay respects to the Queen?

Q. I plan to travel up from Gloucestershire to pay my respects to Queen Elizabeth, and I’m happy to stand in the queue for however long it takes. My husband is only free from work a little later, but is it OK for him to join me in the queue? Or will his cutting in attract hostility?

– Name and address withheld

A. It will be fine as long as you warn the immediate cluster around you to expect your husband at a later stage. Bear in mind that the prevailing atmosphere in this historic queue will be civilised, in keeping with the spirit of our former Queen, and that scuffling is unlikely to break out.

This is an extract from Dear Mary. The full article is available in this week's issue of The Spectator, out tomorrow.