I wanted Prince Philip to make it to 100 to get a letter from The Queen

[JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil]

Losing your DH after such a long marriage must feel like losing an organ. RIP.

@cariadlet
I was irritated by the radio bulletin which referred to his "gaffes". Either be honest and talk about his offensive, racist comments or - if you feel that it's too soon and would be in poor taste - don't bother saying anything at all.

Well, the BBC is a cesspit of hypocrisy. The aristocracy aren’t racist, they make cultural faux pas.

So sad :-( A person I kind of thought would go on forever.

@DamsonTrousers
Most people manage to have bad points which don’t include being an unashamed racist.

@littlepeas

I know they have the obituaries ready and said do in my post, it’s the speed of it appearing I find in poor taste. It really wasn’t very long ago we’d have had to wait until tomorrow’s papers. Why does everything have to be instantaneous?

The BBC news website launched in autumn 1997, and even before then there were evening newspapers and special editions when there was important news. What would be the approved amount of time to wait?

I think it would be weirder to announce the death and then say nothing for half a day.

Given the reaction already to this, I plan to emigrate for a month when the queen dies.

The only good thing is it will shove endless covid stories off the headlines.

I remember when Diana died and the new reporter said "Diana princess of Wales has been killed in a car accident win Paris, keep tuned in for breaking news as it happens"

I actually yelled at the TV, what are you going to do, resurrect her, she's dead, what more can break!

There is only so much that can be said about a person and they try to fill every news bulletin for a week or more.

@tara66

He was always the most attractive one in the family.

He was hot as hell when he was young. We have a book on him for book group which was supposed to be the June read as he would be 100. Young Prince Philip by Philip Eade. Think I will read it now.

Let's not let this turn into a H&M hate parade or being blamed for pushing him over the line with their interview.

#bekind

Mintymabel, and what rhetoric are you buying into?

i hope it wasnt covid, we will never know i guess

I wouldn't dream of saying anything unkind to a bereaved person, no matter what I thought of the deceased. That would be unnecessarily cruel.

But I can't see the problem with balancing the gushing comments on an anonymous public forum (which the people who are actually personally affected are extremely unlikely to read) with an acknowledgement of the offensive aspects of a dead person's character.

He was 99, and had a great life, his time was up, I can not feel sad about it

@Macncheeseballs

He was 99, and had a great life, his time was up, I can not feel sad about it

Yes I am somewhat at all the shocked and devastated posts on my social media today

@TransplantedScouser

Given the reaction already to this, I plan to emigrate for a month when the queen dies.

The only good thing is it will shove endless covid stories off the headlines.

I remember when Diana died and the new reporter said "Diana princess of Wales has been killed in a car accident win Paris, keep tuned in for breaking news as it happens"

I actually yelled at the TV, what are you going to do, resurrect her, she's dead, what more can break!

There is only so much that can be said about a person and they try to fill every news bulletin for a week or more.

Erm...what?! Of course there was more to tell!

@AbsolutelyPatsy

i hope it wasnt covid, we will never know i guess

He had been vaccinated some time ago. He has had underlying health problems for years (which isn’t surprising given his age).

@Wearywithteens

“cariadlet But I can't believe the comments saying what a wonderful person he was. He was a hideous, unreconstructed racist.”

Well your comments, and the timing of them, don’t exactly paint you in a good light either cariadlet. I don’t deny that Prince Philip has made very controversial comments over the years but I suggest you look up his family and their role in saving Jews during ww2 - his mother has the rare honour as a non-Jewish person of being buried on the mount of olives. I’m pretty sure his alleged ‘racism’ isn’t as simple as you paint it.

Alleged? Read the book of gaffes.

"A racist is a racist"
You'd be hard pressed to find someone born in 1921 who didn't have some bigatry and make inappropriate comments. That includes people of all ethnicities.

And so this post will also get deleted because some people just cannot stop themselves and are also unable to see the irony in saying unpleasant things about someone who also occasionally said unpleasant things.

DamsonTrousers has said exactly what I was going to say. RIP The DOE. So sad for the Queen, not unexpected of course but still devastating for her.

So I take it the funeral will be limited to a maximum of 30 people as is the current law of England? Will be difficult for those arranging the guest list. Don't suppose any crowds along the road either.

whilst I always think it is sad when a beloved family member dies not matter how old and frail, I don't understand some of the reactions here expressing shock and sadness Also he wasn't just the 'gaffe prone' prince. Many of his comments were incredibly racists and actually completely unacceptable.

He lived a life of huge privilege and wealth. He wouldn't have made it anywhere to 99 if he would have been Joe Blocks.

His death is not the tragedy. He had a life so much better and longer than most. I think things really should be kept in perspective!

RIP Prince Philip . I can't imagine him not being around.

Such sad news. It’s not unexpected but at the same time I got a bit choked up at the BBCs tribute. Him and the Queen have been a constant in so many years of change. Heartbreaking that she is now without him after all these years together.

Interesting to watch the original video of his reported racist comments about Chinese people, which he made in 1986. Even in 1986 the news reporters knew the comments were beyond the pale. The comments he made weren’t denied, instead the Royal spokesperson said it was just “all good fun” or something.

As others have said, probably just best not to talk about the good stuff vs bad stuff right now, just talk about his general role as husband to the Queen. But if you are going to talk about the good vs bad stuff, well the bad stuff was nasty racism and a privileged imperial mindset. Racism, not “gaffes”. Don’t sugarcoat racism. We knew what racism was in 1986 and we certainly do in 2021.