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.

I don't consider H&M to be truly part of the RF anymore really....H may not come; M almost certainly won't if so late in pregnancy

@Keyring

I don't consider H&M to be truly part of the RF anymore really....H may not come; M almost certainly won't if so late in pregnancy

Remember Prince Philip was his grandfather. He will definitely be at the funeral.

I don't think we were 10 comments in before someone mentioned Meghan.

God help you Meghan as this will be ALL YOUR FAULT

Let's not forget this was a hugely privileged man who had the best of everything all his life.

He's died and that's sad but people with less privileged lives die every single day and without the amazing care PP had.

May he RIP but please...a bit of perspective.

They're also talking about a military procession in London - I wonder when that will be? Perhaps only a small funeral now and a bigger memorial service later in the year.

@cariadlet

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.

People always forget this shit when someone well known dies. 'A product of his upbringing?' Plenty of people with racist parents who don't turn out to be bigots.

It's sad for his nearest and dearest but he's had a long and privileged life, he was probably ready to go.

I’m glad he made it home at least, many do not. Very sad, he was one of a kind.

'He's died and that's sad but'

There's no need for the 'but'. If you've nothing kind to say why bother.

Doesn't matter how 'privileged' people are y'know, folk are still allowed to feel sad for his family.

@Keyring

I don't consider H&M to be truly part of the RF anymore really....H may not come; M almost certainly won't if so late in pregnancy

I'm sure the royal family will be checking @keyring's posts on MN so that they know who she considers part of their family before making decisions about who goes to the funeral.

@stalachtiteorstalagmite

I am sorry for the Queen, they seemed to have such a happy marriage. I love this photo of them.

Great photo!

For those posters saying the phrase "beyond the pale" relates to colour and could be construed offensive - it's actually to do with fence "pales" i.e. fence posts in more modern language and the phrase means outside the fence or " beyond boundaries". Please don't try to stir trouble where there is no reason!

I'm surprisingly sad. Mostly that this couple, who have been together through thick and thin for so very long, are now not. It makes me look at DH and feel afraid that it will be one day. Or him. I know that is selfish, but it is my first reaction. Any two people who have spent a lifetime together make me feel like this.

So often when one goes the other quickly follows. I am not hoping for that, btw, but it is very common.

Poor old Queenie.

I feel very sad for the Queen. She must be heartbroken.

I actually met Prince Phillip a couple of times and found him to be lovely. It's a shame he didn't make it to his 100th birthday.

It’ll be interesting to see how they work the guest list as it’ll be very tight (as it is for so many families).

His wife, children (& partners) and grandchildren (&partners) total 21 people. That doesn’t even include his older great grandchildren like the Phillips girls who would be old enough to attend in normal circumstances.

Which leaves a max of 9 spaces to fit in the Kent’s and Gloucester’s (I think Pss Alexandra, the Dukes of Kent and Gloucester are almost a certainty). Then there’s the Mountbattens; Lady Pamela was brought up regarding him almost as a brother. Plus Earl Mountbatten’s wife Penny has been his carriage driving partner for many years.

Which doesn’t leave a lot of space for his nieces and nephews from his sisters. And likely no way for anyone from his charities to attend either.

On the upside his wish for it to be a family event, rather than a state event will happen because there won’t be ministers and politicians in attendance.

I assume they’ll televise it, if nothing else it’ll help stop people gathering outside.

@JustLyra

It’ll be interesting to see how they work the guest list as it’ll be very tight (as it is for so many families).

His wife, children (& partners) and grandchildren (&partners) total 21 people. That doesn’t even include his older great grandchildren like the Phillips girls who would be old enough to attend in normal circumstances.

Which leaves a max of 9 spaces to fit in the Kent’s and Gloucester’s (I think Pss Alexandra, the Dukes of Kent and Gloucester are almost a certainty). Then there’s the Mountbattens; Lady Pamela was brought up regarding him almost as a brother. Plus Earl Mountbatten’s wife Penny has been his carriage driving partner for many years.

Which doesn’t leave a lot of space for his nieces and nephews from his sisters. And likely no way for anyone from his charities to attend either.

On the upside his wish for it to be a family event, rather than a state event will happen because there won’t be ministers and politicians in attendance.

I assume they’ll televise it, if nothing else it’ll help stop people gathering outside.

thank you - this is very informative. Agree, not much wiggle room! Charities will almost certainly be left out.

Hope they do televise it...would have thought so.

I'm also glad the Queen was given a dog (or was it 2 dogs?) even though she had decided it wasn't fair to have any more at her age for their sake.

I agree @2018SoFarSoGreat
I've been with my husband a long time but barely half the number of years that they were together.
I can't imagine what Her Majesty is feeling right now.

poor prince Philip, RIP

Same here OP. So sad. RIP Prince Phillip. He was a rock to our queen. She must be lost without him.

Philip **

There is seating for 50 in the Quire, which won’t be enough space for 50 people with social distancing.

I wonder if they may do the whole service in the main body of the chapel, or just have the family spread out.

There’s no way they can afford to be seen to be ignoring rules.

I also hope they bubble the Queen with Edward and Sophie, as previously planned, or with Princess Anne so that she doesn’t have to sit or arrive alone.

@SWnewstart

For those posters saying the phrase "beyond the pale" relates to colour and could be construed offensive - it's actually to do with fence "pales" i.e. fence posts in more modern language and the phrase means outside the fence or " beyond boundaries". Please don't try to stir trouble where there is no reason!

Really? I googled it and this is what I found: "The Pale was the name given to an area of Ireland under English rule and those outside that area were considered uncivilized aka 'beyond the pale'. This is a phrase that is only used with raised eyebrows in Ireland and certainly feels inappropriate, if not offensive, coming from an English person".

But...returning to the present...

RIP Prince Phillip. I'm very sorry you didn't make it to 100.

God bless the Queen.

“Being the pale” relates to beyond the palings, beyond the boundaries, as posted previously.

Beyond, not being.

@whiskyinajar He didn't have the best of everything of all of his life. He was born in a house with no running water and an outside lav - and after the war, he had barely the clothes he stood up in.
Landed on his feet when he married, I admit.