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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Repetitive TV about Duke’s Death

936 replies

Thisisnotreallymyname · 09/04/2021 18:37

At a risk of being sent to the Tower, whilst I think it is sad that Prince Philip has died, am I alone in being amazed at the constant repetitive TV about his life.
It’s just going over snd over same old stuff. And I’d like to watch some normal TV !

IABU - YES
IANBU - NO

OP posts:
Onthedowns · 09/04/2021 21:52

@Keyring

there's a lot of ignorance on this thread. It's sad. People wrapped up totally in their own lives.

Perhaps we should start to be taught about the constitution/role of the monarch in schools. It might help.

Totally agree with this. Whether you are a royalist or not. They and this death form a significant part of our history. I am not overly fond of them but i find many others that wind me up more. A wife has lost her husband and children their father. So it doesn't offend me to show a little respect for one day.
tobee · 09/04/2021 21:53

Again I'm not a monarchist @UrAWizHarry. Genuinely interested to know why a Putin situation would not be possible if we had no other head of state?

lynsey91 · 09/04/2021 21:54

How sad that so many people are annoyed that they can't watch a certain programme or just that they think there is too much coverage of Prince Phillip's death.

Even sadder are those that are actually complaining to the BBC. Get a life for goodness sake

benorjerry · 09/04/2021 21:54

@randomer

Diana was young and beautiful and it was a massive shock. he was very very old.
Good to see that ageism is alive and well on MN! He was far more important and contributed far more in his life than she did.
tobee · 09/04/2021 21:55

Although the monarchy being above the law? Not sure a Charles I situation couldn't happen again?

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 09/04/2021 21:55

Disagree. A separate Head of State avoids too much power vesting in one person.

The UK HoS has no actual power, beyond the ceremonial that we still insist on granting them.

Rolling it into the PM's job in a Republic would basically mean no change besides them having to attend a few more dinners and great a few more people in that role. We are happy to chop and change PM's every few years, the office that actually does wield some power, so there's no reason at all for things not to continue as they are, but with the roles merged. The vast bulk of what a HoS actually does is entirely ceremonial anyway, and could be completely discarded out of hand.

crackofdoom · 09/04/2021 21:56

There have been around 130,000 deaths from COVID this year. Most of those people were spouses, parents, siblings, and are sorely missed by their families. Many of them had led long and worthwhile lives, and done many interesting things. Where’s THEIR wall to wall coverage? 🤔

StoneofDestiny · 09/04/2021 21:56

every day is a duvet day

Thanks - just registered mine

Keyring · 09/04/2021 21:56

@Starbar66

Agree with so many of you. Entitled arrogant parasites we pay for. My teens are astounded as only a few weeks ago the Royals were mass-criticized re. racism and being out of touch, and there was wild speculation all over SM that PP had made the comments about the baby's skin colour...yet the same people are today fawning all over social media about him. The awful forelock-tugging and hypocrisy. No idea why this needs to be repetitively reported. It's only sad for family and friends. People outside Windsor saying how sad it is that a 99 year old man died? FFS. Drives me nuts. Thank God for other channels.
Ah yes, the criticism for the RF which was started by the comments of a certain pair residing in the USA.

Well if they said it, it must be true!

BurbageBrook · 09/04/2021 21:56

I have no problem with the TV coverage but I am bemused by the newspaper coverage covering it as if it’s an unexpected tragedy. A 99 year old man dying is not a tragedy.

UrAWizHarry · 09/04/2021 21:56

@tobee

Again I'm not a monarchist *@UrAWizHarry*. Genuinely interested to know why a Putin situation would not be possible if we had no other head of state?
Because legally the PM does not have absolute power, and if we were to create an elected HoS they would be restricted and subject to measures and controls just like the PM.

If you are concerned about someone in this country having too much power then look to the monarchy. As I said they are literally above or arrested for ANY reason. Liz could go on a murderous rampage and we couldnt' touch her.

Argubly we don't even NEED a seperate HoS to the PM. Just do away with the role completely.

LookItsMeAgain · 09/04/2021 21:57

I can understand why BBC1 and ITV are showing wall to wall coverage but why is BBC2 showing identical coverage to BBC1 and why is BBC4 not showing anything at all??

I realise that there may have been a decision made back in the 1970's or 80's about how each of the Royal Family members coverage of their deaths and funerals was to be covered done but we're living in different times now.

tobee · 09/04/2021 21:57

Although plenty would argue that the ceremony is a money maker for tourism. Not sure that it can't be consigned to history and still being in money.

Kendodd · 09/04/2021 21:58

Meanwhile in real news.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-56696889

StoneofDestiny · 09/04/2021 21:58

Even sadder are those that are actually complaining to the BBC. Get a life for goodness sake

When you pay for your TV license you have every right to complain if your programmes are overridden with this nonsense.

Kendodd · 09/04/2021 21:59

Thank God for Netflix.

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 09/04/2021 21:59

Liz could go on a murderous rampage and we couldnt' touch her

Hmm, we've had monarchs before that thought they were above the law, and generally speaking that didn't end well for them Grin

tobee · 09/04/2021 21:59

Thanks for the reply @UrAWizHarry. Would the pm be unable to change the law though? Felt like the government were pretty close to it at times in 2019

ImAlrightThanx · 09/04/2021 22:00

@tobee

I'm not saying you're wrong *@UrAWizHarry* and I'm not a monarchist. However, having just had brexit voted for with no one bothering to have a clue what happens next.

Also, what's to stop a Putin type deciding to make himself leader in perpetuity? Would there be anything?

You could try to stop that with American style law that mean that a head of state can only rule for x years. (In the USA, it's two terms maximum).

The problem in the UK with that no parliament can bind the next one. There probably isn't anything to stop someone becoming eternal leader if they had enough support.

Incidentally, I don't think the Queen has ever not passed royal assent and I honestly don't believe she would.

Atalantea · 09/04/2021 22:00

@DareIask

I agree. Devote the whole of one of your channels to it, but bbc1 & 2?

Too much

And bbc4 is off Ffs, if I want to watch it, I can find it, don't put it on ALL the channels
JustSaying101 · 09/04/2021 22:01

@pudseypie

There was even a banner on the bottom of the CBeebies screen saying something like 'major news broadcast on BBC1' this afternoon. Now there's no way my toddler was going to let me switch over from Teletubbies. I know he was a very prominent figure, but CBeebies, really??
Yes, we saw that, how completely unnecessary! DC kept asking why it was there and if we could remove it as they couldn't see the full screen 😂
duvetdreaming · 09/04/2021 22:01

@lynsey91

How sad that so many people are annoyed that they can't watch a certain programme or just that they think there is too much coverage of Prince Phillip's death.

Even sadder are those that are actually complaining to the BBC. Get a life for goodness sake

Maybe people who live alone and have hardly seen anybody for 12 months are feeling lonely/alone and welcome the distraction of their favourite TV programme.

I do think complaining is a bit much though.

tobee · 09/04/2021 22:01

[quote Kendodd]Meanwhile in real news.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-56696889[/quote]

Thank you for that very important link @Kendodd

ImAlrightThanx · 09/04/2021 22:01

Because legally the PM does not have absolute power, and if we were to create an elected HoS they would be restricted and subject to measures and controls just like the PM

But parliament create the laws? Theoretically, could they not pass a law to make the PM have absolute power?

ilovecarbs90 · 09/04/2021 22:02

No one can hand on heard say his death was a shock - he was 99 and no one is getting out of this world alive. We all die. So yes, Diana's death was much more shocking because it wasn't expected at her age.

But that being said, a death is still sad to the family no matter what the age. It's a fact of life, but a sad one. And even though Prince Philip is a stranger to us, his death is a reminder of the passage of time and the inevitable fact death will come to us all. Not many people will have been Alive in a time without the queen and Philip, so this truly is the end of an era and I do feel sorry for the queen. I can't imagine how she must be feeling.