HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh

[Oztalgian 2,922]

The death of Prince Philip has just been announced.

He visited Australia 21 times

He certainly was a character and will certainly be missed

May he rest in peace

[Brew 5,007]

I wonder if Harry and Megs will use Covid as an excuse not to attend the funeral of his grandfather... 

[LizzieM 9,272]

I had a lot of admiration for Prince Philip, it couldn’t have been easy being the Monarch’s Consort for almost 70 years.  I feel very sorry for the Queen, she’s lost her right-hand man. Such a shame he didn’t make it to 100 in just a couple of months time. 
I wonder if there’ll be a State Funeral with the virus still being centre-stage?    
 

[Brew 5,007]

I doubt a state affair, rules have to be met and examples set etc. sad really he didn't come across as a bad bloke..

[Jill Sparrow 9,672]

I believe he stated categorically that he did not want a state funeral, just a quiet send off.

 

I never met the man and although I certainly don't approve of his hunting/shooting activities, he is a husband, father, grandfather, etc. His wife, like many wives who have been married for so many years, will be distraught by his departure. I witnessed my own mother's inability to cope with the demise of the man she'd been married to for almost 57 years. Just because one is HMQ, it doesn't make it any easier. She's still human. I feel for her.

[philmayfield 5,509]

There are strict Covid rules concerning funerals and it would be totally inappropriate for the Royals to break those. I doubt they would.

[mary1947 1,907]

Brew

Maybe Harry and Megan have been told to stay away.  from the Fureral

[DJ360 6,385]

59 minutes ago, Brew said:

I wonder if Harry and Megs will use Covid as an excuse not to attend the funeral of his grandfather... 

 

And Andrew?

[philmayfield 5,509]

At least Boris wore a black tie for his tribute from No. 10. It’s just a pity that he didn’t run a comb through his hair!

[philmayfield 5,509]

Some of the Duke's remarks:

 

1966: "British women can't cook".
1969: "What do you gargle with, pebbles?" To Sir Tom Jones after a Royal Variety Performance.
1981: "Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed." During the 1981 recession.
1984: "You are a woman, aren't you?" In Kenya after accepting a small gift from a local woman.
1986: "If you stay here much longer you'll all be slitty-eyed." To a group of British students during a royal visit to China.
1988: "It looks like a tart's bedroom." On seeing plans for the Duke and Duchess of York's house at Sunninghill Park.
1992: "Oh no, I might catch some ghastly disease." In Australia when asked to stroke a koala.
1993: "You can't have been here that long, you haven't got a pot belly". To a Briton he met in Hungary.
1994: "Aren't most of you descended from pirates?" To a wealthy islander in the Cayman Islands.
1995: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test." To a Scottish driving instructor.
1996: "If a cricketer, for instance, suddenly decided to go into a school and batter a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he could do very easily, I mean, are you going to ban cricket bats?" In response to calls to ban firearms after the Dunblane shooting.
1997: "Bloody silly fool!" Referring to a Cambridge University car park attendant who did not recognise him.
1999: "Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf." Speaking to a group of young deaf people in Cardiff who were standing near a steel band.
1999: "It looks as if it was put in by an Indian." Referring to an old-fashioned fuse box in a factory near Edinburgh.
2001: "You're too fat to be an astronaut." To 13-year-old Andrew Adams who told Prince Philip he wanted to go into space.
2002: "Still throwing spears?" Question put to an Australian Aborigine during a visit.
2002: "You look like a suicide bomber." To a young policewoman wearing a bullet-proof vest on Stornoway, Isle of Lewis.
2009: "There's a lot of your family in tonight." After looking at the name badge of businessman Atul Patel at a Palace reception for British Indians.
2009: "Well, you didn't design your beard too well, did you?" To designer Stephen Judge about his tiny goatee beard.
2010: "Do you have a pair of knickers made out of this?" To Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie Pointing while pointing to some tartan in Edinburgh.
2010: "Do you work in a strip club?" To 24-year-old Barnstaple Sea Cadet Elizabeth Rendle when she told him she also worked in a nightclub.
2012: "I would get arrested if I unzipped that dress." To 25-year-old council worker Hannah Jackson, who was wearing a dress with a zip running the length of its front, on a Jubilee visit to Bromley, Kent.
2013: "The Philippines must be half empty as you're all here running the NHS." On meeting a Filipino nurse at Luton and Dunstable Hospital.
2013: "[Children] go to school because their parents don't want them in the house." To Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban and now campaigns for the right of girls to go to school without fear.
2017: "You look starved." To a pensioner on a visit to the Charterhouse almshouse for elderly men.

 

You've just got to love the guy!

[Cliff Ton 10,008]

I always quite liked him. He said what he thought and didn't speak like most of the other royals.

[siddha 801]

It comes to us all ........................

Hoping that we are not going to be surrounded by inappropriate expressions of grief.

 

[DavidA 153]

This feels like the end of an era. I've always admired the DoE and it won't be the same now he has gone.

[philmayfield 5,509]

I’ve just discovered that the soaps and comedy programmes are not being shown tonight. I was looking forward to the final of Masterchef tonight.  I don’t see why the Royal family’s private grief should be inflicted on all of us.

[Cliff Ton 10,008]

The three main channels BBC1, BBC2, and ITV, are all showing endless Phil for the rest of the day. Possibly a bit OTT.

[philmayfield 5,509]

We've had it rammed down our throats all day. Enough is enough!

[radfordred 6,278]

Blimey I must the last to know, I’ve just read it on here RIP Boss x

[catfan 14,782]

I'm sick of hearing about it.

Will there be a 30 person maximum limit at his funeral ?

 

[woody 516]

A fine innings Sir. Never afraid to speak his mind but always did a fine supporting job, a dedicated man.

[Brew 5,007]

There are some rather churlish comments here, as per, yet when the world went crackers over a guy tottering about raising money for charity (and very well done to him), not one voice of dissent. The media went into the captains exploits ad infinitum yet  one evening when we show a little respect to a good man for a life well lived, out come the knockers. Next there will be suppositions and moral outrage about the cost of his funeral plus a whole slew of whataboutery... 

 

Shame on you.

[Alpha 166]

Typical of the sycophantic hand-wringing BBC to over-react with saturated reviews of his past life, interesting though it was first time round, but....

ITV also was quick to jump on the band-wagon too. One or two media presenters would have been sufficient but not a coach party.

[LizzieM 9,272]

3 hours ago, philmayfield said:

I’ve just discovered that the soaps and comedy programmes are not being shown tonight. 

Thank God for that!   I haven’t watched the soaps since the 1970s and Comedy/Comedians are awful these days, the only comedians I enjoy are Peter Kay (who seems to have retired) and John Bishop (his programme about Beluga Whales has been fantastic and heart-warming). 
I’m a proud Royalist and in the past few months I’ve enjoyed lots of Saturday night TV programmes about our Royal Family, whilst my husband is watching football or boxing on another TV.   
However, as much as I admire Prince Philip and feel so sorry for the Queen, I do think his passing has been overdone on the telly and radio today.  

[DJ360 6,385]

He was a product of his origins, his upbringing, his times, and the life he found himself living.  Just like all of us.

 

I neither liked nor disliked him from what I knew of him. He certainly seems to have stuck to the job he signed up for and if his only legacy was the DofE Award Scheme, then he would have made his mark.

 

Agree with Lizzie though.. his passing is, to be frank..hardly a surprise.. yet the mainstream media and the BBC in particular have cheerfully cancelled programes and re-arranged schedules all day in an orgy of sycophantic hand wringing which basically boils down to about half a dozen facts repeated in endless permutation.

[Stavertongirl 1,684]

Any death is sad for family and friends no matter who they are. I must admit I do not have any feelings either way about this, I neither knew him nor took much notice of him to be honest. I do agree the award scheme he started has done good work. I do wonder how many other 99 year olds would have had heart surgery but perhaps that is just me being cynical! 

To those that are Royalist supporters it must be sad but I must admit I am glad I have the Sky channels so I can get away from the terrestrial channels who do seem to be wallowing in it a bit. Sorry.

[philmayfield 5,509]

I see that the BBC has set up a page for those people complaining about the over coverage of Prince Philip’s death. Get complaining Col, you’ve already been struck off the guest list!