‘Lizzie’s in a box’ – football fans mock death of Elizabeth II before international in Dublin
Click here to view this content.
Republic of Ireland fans have been filmed taunting England supporters with an incendiary song about Elizabeth II the day before the second anniversary of her death.
Footage shows a group of them outside a Dublin pub singing “Lizzie’s in a box” before their team’s 2-0 defeat by England in the Nations League on Saturday.
Other supporters were filmed flicking ‘v’ signs although it was not clear whether England fans in the pubs and bars before kick-off were their target.
A ring of steel was put in place for Saturday’s fixture, and the Garda’s Operation Dearoil operated from Friday until Sunday morning. Around 12,000 England fans had applied for nearly 3,000 tickets.
Police had urged England fans to “respect local culture” ahead of the showdown in the Irish capital but stopped short of calling for them to refrain from anti-IRA or sectarian chanting. Meanwhile, The Irish Times reported at least three men had been arrested by the Garda public order unit following an incident after the match.
According to superintendent Gareth Parkin, who was leading the United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) delegation in Dublin, there were 10 football-related arrests on the day.
The mocking of the late Queen overshadowed England’s victory in Lee Carsley’s first match as interim manager. Carsley caused a storm before the game when he said he would not sing the national anthem, and he was true to his word.
Sources told Telegraph Sport that authorities on both sides of the Irish Sea had refrained from asking fans not to sing specific songs, fearing that if they did it would have had the opposite effect.
Ireland fans’ offensive song echoed Scotland supporters mocking the late Queen at Euro 2024, when fans staying in Dusseldorf sang “Lizzie’s in a box” while others in Frankfurt chanted Harry Kane “licks windows on the bus” when they came across English fans in the city.
In scenes that infuriated the majority of the Tartan Army, who took pride in Scotland fans being well behaved, others chanted that Kane “eats spaghetti with his hands”.
