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Original poster

Princess Anne the only female behind the hearse

538 replies

jeanne16 · 18/04/2021 07:35

While the funeral was beautiful, I couldn’t help feeling annoyed that Princess Anne was the only female to walk behind the hearse. Surely all the grandchildren could have been included. Instead we see Beatrice, Eugenie and Zara tottering along on high heels. It would have been so much better to see them take an equal place with the men.

OP posts:
Isthereaduckinthehouse · 18/04/2021 11:27

It's so interesting. Wouldn't like to be within it, but it's fascinating to observe from the outside.

WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo · 18/04/2021 11:28

@Isthereaduckinthehouse

Or is it she's a Queen and a mother so she's the Queen mother. I presumed it was reference to mother of the Queen so presumably mother of the King so King mother! Lol, I'm inventing titles for them now!
I used to think it would be King Mother too. As in Mother of the King. But its not. I realised that when I watched 'The Man in The Iron Mask" Grin
ancientgran · 18/04/2021 11:29

@TheOneWithTheBigNose

Do you reckon Peter said ‘right lads, no funny business, I’m watching you’ to William and Harry before they set off?
It's the sort of thing a big cousin might say. Not saying he needed to but big cousins are like that (I'm from a big family and have 24 cousins I think. I was the big cousin at my grans funeral and had to look after two naughty 7 year olds and I gave a similar warning, was more likely to be giggling or pulling faces with them.)
TheOneWithTheBigNose · 18/04/2021 11:31

I think saying it to 7 year olds is a bit different to saying it to a 38 and 36 year old though. They were hardly likely to kick off.

ancientgran · 18/04/2021 11:32

@Isthereaduckinthehouse

Will Kate not become King mother when George takes over?
We are killing of royal males at quite a rate on here.

Kate could die first!!

ancientgran · 18/04/2021 11:33

@TheOneWithTheBigNose

I think saying it to 7 year olds is a bit different to saying it to a 38 and 36 year old though. They were hardly likely to kick off.
I don't know them personally so can't comment on their behaviour compared to the average 7 year old. Judging by Harry deciding to do Oprah I wouldn't jump to any conclusions though.
WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo · 18/04/2021 11:34

My "big cousin" (BC) is the same age as Peter .
My brother and I are the same ages as PW and PH. I'm giggling at the thought of BC telling us to behave ourselves. I mean. Maybe when we were 5/6/7 she would have done. But now? At 36 and 38. Grin

TillyTopper · 18/04/2021 11:34

I think YABU Princess Anne is the only daughter - hence she was included. Charles' children (William and Harry) were included because he's in direct line to the throne. If they had included more then they would have been over numbers for the funeral.

I'm sure Zara and Bea were pleased not to have to walk there and back they have only just had babies!

Loopylobes · 18/04/2021 11:35

I'd put money on Peter Philips was there between Harry and William due to whats gone on between them.

I struggle to believe that anyone above the aged of ten genuinely believes that two grown men, one of whom is the heir to the throne, require a arbiter to walk between them at their grandfather's funeral, in full view of millions of people, with their every word and movement analysed to the nth degree by gossip-mongers, to ensure that they don't start laying into each other. I've read some ridiculous comments on MN but this takes the biscuit!

The family will have worked with those responsible for formal arrangements to take into account precedents, tradition, safety, health conditions and personal preference to make sure that, where possible, a grieving family's wishes were respected. There will be reasons behind some of the decisions that, quite rightly, we will never find out.

I didn't watch but I'm saddened to note comments that indicate the queen had cameras focussed on her in St George's chapel. How horribly intrusive. I hope it wasn't for the whole service.

AngeloMysterioso · 18/04/2021 11:35

@Isthereaduckinthehouse

Camilla ranks higher than Kate.

But do Camilla and Kate rank higher than Anne as things stand?

It depends.

If they’re in a situation where they’re all together with their spouses then Camilla and Kate, as wives of the future Kings, would outrank Anne.

If they’re in a situation where Charles and William aren’t present then Anne, as daughter of the monarch, would outrank Camilla and Kate.

JustLyra · 18/04/2021 11:36

@TillyTopper

I think YABU Princess Anne is the only daughter - hence she was included. Charles' children (William and Harry) were included because he's in direct line to the throne. If they had included more then they would have been over numbers for the funeral.

I'm sure Zara and Bea were pleased not to have to walk there and back they have only just had babies!

William, Harry and Peter Philips were included because they are his grandsons. Nothing to do with heir or succession
Lockdownbear · 18/04/2021 11:45

@Isthereaduckinthehouse

Will Kate not become King mother when George takes over?
Yes if she outlives William. King's Mother doesn't roll of the tongue as easily as Queens Mother or Queens Mum
RedactedTaeFeck · 18/04/2021 11:46

I think all grandsons would have been included but maybe they felt James was too young.

In DHs family burials, it's the closest male relatives usually that are allocated a cord to lower the coffin into the grave (in reality it's the staff that do the heavy lifting with ropes though). So a daughter might be excluded and a male cousin or grandson included.

Dhs family are all pretty laid back but it can cause fight and upset sometimes.

Fatarseflanagan09 · 18/04/2021 11:48

I couldn't get annoyed about it, it's not my business, why not take it up with princess Anne the next time she drops in for a chat?

AbsolutelyPatsy · 18/04/2021 11:49

Peter Philips was in the middle as he is an Incredible, with extra long arms

Lockdownbear · 18/04/2021 11:49

@AbsolutelyPatsy

Peter Philips was in the middle as he is an Incredible, with extra long arms
GrinGrin
JustLyra · 18/04/2021 11:50

Yes if she outlives William.
King's Mother doesn't roll of the tongue as easily as Queens Mother or Queens Mum

Kate would only be “the King’s mother” if she’s not Queen first.

If she is Queen then widowed she’ll be HM Queen Catherine Queen Mother. King won’t feature in her title

SetPhasersTaeMalkie · 18/04/2021 11:53

@AbsolutelyPatsy

Peter Philips was in the middle as he is an Incredible, with extra long arms
😂

That makes the most sense!!

JudgeJ · 18/04/2021 11:55

I think that having just given birth is irrelevant, it seems that funerals are still considered to be a male preserve, though no-one wanted the job of telling Anne! At Diana's funeral her brother but neither sister walked. I'm not agreeing, just saying. At my father's funeral 35 years ago they were a 'man short' but wouldn't let me do it even though I made far more sense height wise.
Let's not get too hung up on the minutae, it detracts from a very dignified, beautiful event.

JudgeJ · 18/04/2021 11:58

@MorrisZapp

I thought it was brilliant. Made Princess Anne look special and iconic in a way, and as his only daughter she absolutely should. Poor old Andrew trailing behind looking awkward, as well he might.
I was a bit fascinated by Andrew's suit, it looked two sizes too small and that he'd slept in it! Can't he iron a collar?
diddl · 18/04/2021 11:59

The present Queen's mum was the Queen mother (not the Queen's mother) -the mother of the monarch who had been a queen herself.

Queen Mary was also a Queen Mother.

I suppose with the present Queen, it was more widely used for her mum to distinquish them more easily?

Both being Queen Elizabeth, although of course only one one being QEll

YellowGlasses · 18/04/2021 12:00

@JustLyra

Yes if she outlives William. King's Mother doesn't roll of the tongue as easily as Queens Mother or Queens Mum

Kate would only be “the King’s mother” if she’s not Queen first.

If she is Queen then widowed she’ll be HM Queen Catherine Queen Mother. King won’t feature in her title

Would she not just be the Queen Dowager? I thought the Queen Mother name was given as she and her daughter both had the same first name, so it prevented confusion when people said “Queen Elizabeth” especially since at the time people were used to the Queen Mother being known as Queen Elizabeth and Queen Elizabeth II was better known, as she had been until then, as Princess Elizabeth.
JudgeJ · 18/04/2021 12:03

@Isthereaduckinthehouse

Technically, in terms of lineage, is Camilla not the most senior female with Kate being second and Princess Charlotte being third?
I recall reading that Kate only outranks Anne when William's present and it was the same for Harry and Meghan. When they started marrying non-aristos HM declared that the senior ladies when their husbands were not present were Anne and Alexandra as they were born Princesses, how this now affects Eugenie and Beatrice I don't know, not doubt their Dad has an opinion.
PhillipPhillop · 18/04/2021 12:03

I imagine her full title would be something like HRH Catherine, Dowager Princess of Wales if her grandson was Prince of Wales. Or she might still be HRH Duchess of Cambridge if William died young.

takemebacktoLondon2012 · 18/04/2021 12:04

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother would normally just have been Queen Elizabeth but the Queen Mother bit was added to distinguish her from QE2 ( and its reported she enjoyed having the Queen in her title twice) Catherine would be Queen Catherine when William is king unless she takes another name when on throne and would remain that when George is king unless maybe if George marries another Catherine