AIBU to think the RHS didn't need to close immediately and boot everyone out as a mark of respect?

[SurreyMumOfOne]

As a mark of respect to Prince Philip, the RHS have decided to close all of their gardens immediately today. Any people already inside have been herded out. Tickets are incredibly difficult to get hold of because they are so limited at the moment. There are reports on social media of families using it as a place to meet (as permitted) who haven't seen each other for a year now having to leave; no covid safe measures at the exit; traffic tailbacks as people arriving are being turned immediately away. Lots of upset and confusion.

They have also said they will close on the day of the funeral and I have no issue with this.

AIBU to think this is an ill thought through and unnecessary move? Surely there are better ways to show respect? What about respect for the visitors?

Not that all dc cried but I’m willing to bet some did and it was annoying enough without that.

DH says it's because they have Royal Patronage so they might not have had the choice. But how bloody stupid.

Ridiculous, and as an outspoken practical man he would be horrified this was being done in his name and would have had something to say .

Sympathy for those whose favourite TV is cancelled. This won’t affect the new series of Call the Midwife, due to start on Sunday 18th, will it?? Surely the madness will have reduced by then??

Ricki

Bloody stupid. YANBU.

@thebillyotea

The whole thing is completely disrespectful for Prince Philip.

It is. And some people who are a bit thick will blame Prince PHILIP for it closing.

If it had been the Queen that had died, maybe, but this seems a bit OTT.

I was at Wisley today. I was surprised that they closed but as far as I could see everyone left without any complaint or fuss. The staff handled it very well, I thought, with stewards directing the traffic leaving the car park and trying to stop new cars coming in off the A3.

Luckily I had already been there for a couple of hours, so I didn't feel too short-changed (especially as it was my third visit in the last couple of weeks). I did feel sorry for the people who had booked later tickets though, especially if they had driven some way.

I won't get one as I am an RHS member but am glad that they have said that they are giving refunds.

@MarshaBradyo

@JenerationH

Screw the gardens closing, I've just found out that Pointless isn't on!

NOW I'M ANGRY!!!!!

Same here!

DD and I compete against each other - she usually wins, but not if it's about Shakespeare or anything else literary.

(I ACED the German titles of Shakespeare plays and I don't speak German )

It's interesting about them playing sombre music, not having quizzes or silly phone ins on the radio etc.
Obviously he was a public figure and respect needs to be shown but reality is 99% of us didnt know him. My MIL died last month, I'm sure my DH didnt want to listen to upbeat tunes and silly games on the radio that day or week, and all the other people that have been bereaved (in many cases, totally unexpectedly or before time)

I’m agog that so many people still watch broadcast television.

I’d have done anything for Netflix or BBC iplayer the week Diana died.

I was also surprised to find the first dozen tv channels all still showing news specials, some up to 8 tonight. Are we not allowed to think of anything else ?

It's fucking ridiculous. I thought it was bad enough when Diana died, but at least that was unexpected and shocking, genuinely newsworthy. At almost 100 years old, it's no surprise that he's died. It's sad, especially for the Queen, but the media reaction is massively over the top.

I've resorted to rewatching the first series of Line of Duty on iPlayer.

I don’t watch broadcast so just googled what you were all talking about. Sad music atm on radio

Feels like we’re being forced fed this stuff. What about the many non royals who have died recently.

A BBC spokesperson told RadioTimes.com: “With the sad news that HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, has died, there is now special coverage across all BBC networks to mark his life of extraordinary public service and planned scheduling has been suspended.”

From 6pm, the BBC News / BBC London News will be followed by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh Remembered (7:30pm), and A Tribute to HRH Duke of Edinburgh (9pm). The news and weather will then follow from 10pm, followed by What the Papers Say at 11pm and a repeat of A Tribute to HRH Duke of Edinburgh at 11:30pm.

BBC Two will mirror BBC One's coverage of Prince Philip's passing for the remainder of the afternoon.

YANBU I had to read the email twice, they actually kicked people out?!
Trying to get tickets during the Easter break was worse then ... well here’s a screenshot of the hell I endured.

Masterchef final not going out tonight! To say I'm not happy is an understatement.

That's ridiculous. What a stupid, pointless thing to do.

I'm pissed off that there's no Pointless tonight. Do we really need the same coverage on BBC 1 and BBC 2? Smacks of 1984 to me.

It's not because it was sudden or shocking, though, is not t?

It's because of the national role he played. I've read a couple of the obits this afternoon, and even though I thought I knew qute a lot about the royal family, there's simply loads in there that had passed me by.

Even quite minor entertainment figures dying leads to an hour or so change to the schedules as trivpbute programmes are aired. It's the same thing, writ larger.

And we've all forgotten how the nation marks the death of a consort of the reigning monarch, because it's been so long - I think the last one was Prince Albert (all these since died after their kingly husbands)

@FleetwoodRaincoat

I'm pissed off that there's no Pointless tonight. Do we really need the same coverage on BBC 1 and BBC 2? Smacks of 1984 to me.

I've never understood why they do this surely if you want to change the schedule on 1 channel you can provide an alternative without being disrespectful.

My nearly 8 year old has been having a hard time getting her head around death lately and this is not helping !

I just mentioned it to my DH (who isn't a royalist so hasn't really followed the news apart from knowing Prince Philip had died).

He said 'God, was his body found in the Gardens?'

....

I've never understood why they do this surely if you want to change the schedule on 1 channel you can provide an alternative without being disrespectful.

Yes - they could weed out anything obviously inappropriate, just as they do if there's (e.g.) a plane crash and a disaster movie about a plane crash happened to be scheduled on the same day.

@Miljea

I just mentioned it to my DH (who isn't a royalist so hasn't really followed the news apart from knowing Prince Philip had died).

He said 'God, was his body found in the Gardens?'

....

Oh dear I shouldn’t laugh..

@donquixotedelamancha

I struggle to see how it shows respect.

It's inconveniencing ordinary people in an empty gesture of deference. What better way to celebrate what he stood for?

I was going to make a similar crack about the cancellation of "Pointless".