I was riding on the A54 from Buxton to Congleton yesterday, nearer Congleton when I came up behind a slow moving queue of traffic. This road is bendy and up and down hill and overtaking places are few, but I managed to get passed a few of them and found myself one limo behind a hearse and we came to a short straight. So should I overtake or should I show respect and follow till they turned off. Take into consideration that this hearse was doing 12mph in places and the fastest was 25mph on a road with a 50 mph speed limit. I have been in this situation before and did the same thing then as I did yesterday I overtook it.
I would be interested in what others would do.

Always hang back and at the earliest opportunity take an alternate route to get ahead.

Tricky; I think the answer lies in what you'd think if you were in the limo following the hearse and a biker overtook.
Clearly, not everyone would think the same.
I don't think overtaking shows lack of respect any more than not throwing bunches of flowers in the path of a hearse bearing a well-known person.
One could make a gesture such as raising a hand, nodding or touching the front of the crash helmet, a bit like a salute.

It occurs to me, too, that your having arrived behind the limo following the hearse you might have got into a queue of cars also carrying mourners.

I'm sure some of the cars I passed were mourners others just drivers who couldn't or wouldn't pass. I don't get the driving slow bit at all, maybe down the street or road of the deceased but when driving on A roads keep up with the traffic. I think it's an outdated idea that needs dropping.
By the way thanks for the answers, I am genuinely interested in what others think.

Its a tricky one. One doesn't like to piss people off, but I can never understand why driving the deceased at 12mph is showing respect. There again recent events have seen all sorts of mad things that are supposed to be showing respect! I must write into my will strict instructions that my coffin is transported a proper speed - its only appropriate as I am Mr Impatient!!!
As for passing funeral corteges, on a major road (especially a dual carriageway) I see no reason not to overtake. On smaller roads, I'd be more cautious. I'd certainly be wary of dropping in the middle of a procession of obvious funeral cars (hearse & limos), but as have been said, the cars following may be mourners as well, so I'd look for a decent gap to get past as many or all in one go (easier said than done). As I said, its tricky. If it was me, my sense of awkwardness would be playing off against my legendary impatience with holdups, so its stressful!

I seem to remember a few years ago that someone failed their driving test for not overtaking a hearse, did you notice the police bikes going past the Queen ? and what bikes were they riding ?

Just to add to why I don't, a few years ago I almost got taken out by a mourners car driver who decided he should hold me up from progressing along a bus lane when I didn't realise what was in front of me as the roads were very busy. So rather risk someone doing that to me again and possibly taking me out I just hang back and take an alternate routes as soon as I can.

Yeah, I try to take a balanced view on this as I'm sure many do. If you need to make normal progress to get to work on time or some other appointment then overtaking at a suitable time is perfectly ok. You are allowed to do that. But for all the reasons listed in the above posts one has to be careful & a bit sensitive. Do it quickly & safely or hold back if you cannot do that. An issue is that many bike riders are rubbish at overtaking. Not having a go at anyone here but you only have to observe the many individuals you see on the roads today displaying terrible & quite often a dangerous lack of overtaking skills in a wide variety of situations. Another skill lacking, & it is a skill, is 'restraint'! Some simply are incapable of holding back to take time to properly assess the situation. But hey ho, that's life.

Be rayt, get it overtook. You didn't know the stiff and maybe he/she was a right pillock. Have a bacon sarni and a nice cup of tea, that'll make you feel better