Prince George and the Queen's funeral

[KTKismet]

Can't sleep and read this:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11222927/Prince-William-Princess-Kate-considering-taking-9-year-old-George-Queens-funeral.html

AIBU to think "palace aides" should wind their necks in and leave Prince George alone, rather than insisting he attends the queen's funeral.

He has a lifetime of service ahead of him, surely they should preserve his childhood as long as possible. I think it's hugely inappropriate, AIBU?

[Mumofsend]

@MrsDThomas

People die. Kids know that. They need to attend funerals to understand that dead people aren’t taken to heaven by angels!

especially with his future. This is what it is.

I didn't attend my first funeral until mid-20s due to no one dying and I certainly understood reality without a funeral. Daft comment.

[toomuchlaundry]

@EbbyEbs and how do you think he will feel with being portrayed like that across the media to billions of people

[MarshaBradyo]

I wouldn’t give what they DM writes about George any headspace

[TeenDivided]

The funeral itself is planned to be 1 hour.
Obviously there is the being in place and the going away too, but the actual funeral is 1 hour.
It's doable for a 9year old, especially if he is used to church services, but only if they think it appropriate.
I also agree with PP that they will have an agreement with broadcasters about not filming him too much. it is about The Queen, not him (and there will be literally 100s of other 'famous' people for them to film anyway.)

[PepsiMaxandPringleStacks]

Why are English people so scared of death. Closed coffins, kids not attending funerals.

Yes, younger children I totally agree with, can be inappropriate but an older child who knew the person (grandchild etc) and is old enough to understand how to mourn and respect is completely fine.

[missbipolar]

I don't really think the queens funeral can be compared to a normal family funeral situation. Normal funerals don't have 2000 people in the church, thousands standing outside and millions/billions watching on TV.

[EbbyEbs]

@toomuchlaundry

@EbbyEbs and how do you think he will feel with being portrayed like that across the media to billions of people

I feel sorry for the lad, he always looks so unhappy and uncomfortable. Poor kid has his whole life planned out for him, he’ll never be able to choose his own career path or even his own wife - and imagine if he turned out to be gay? Well I doubt he will be allowed to be gay (not openly anyway)

[BruhWhy]

Don't know about the rest of you but I won't be able to find peace unless I see a 9 year old boy in a suit stand around for a bit.

So reassuring.

[lavenderlou]

George and Charlotte are ages that would normally attend a grandparent's funeral so I don't see that as an issue. Harder for him though as this will be televised and there would be criticism if he yawned or fidgeted etc. However, he has good training and showed at the Jubilee that he can sit as expected foring periods of time so he seems like he would be able to cope. My 9 year old can sit through a church-service appropriately (although my 11 year-old is still a fidgeted....)

[toomuchlaundry]

@TeenDivided there is another service in Windsor in the afternoon and then the internment in the evening. It’s not just an hour

[lavenderlou]

Sorry, great-grandparent's funeral

[hopeishere]

There's a huge difference between walking behind the coffin of your mum who died in a terrible accident, with your dad, who she was divorced from and during a weird unexpected outpouring of public love and going to the funeral of your great granny who died peacefully of old age.

[CatsandFish]

My tv guide shows the coverage will be several hours, just for the funeral.

[Sirzy]

As with any funeral it is up to the parents to decide what they feel is best for the children.

[ShepherdMoons]

@hopeishere watched by millions. It's a very unusual situation for a funeral so not typical of the usual experience.

[TeenDivided]

@toomuchlaundry

@TeenDivided there is another service in Windsor in the afternoon and then the internment in the evening. It’s not just an hour

Well yes, but that's not 'The Funeral' we are talking about. Or at least not what I was talking about. There are various bits to the day, but the public bit is the State Funeral 11-12.

[NewYorkLassie]

This funeral is going to go on for hours

It’s not. It’s scheduled to last an hour. Much shorter than some of the other formal occasions he has to sit through.

[NewYorkLassie]

even his own wife

What century are you stuck in?!

[carefullycourageous]

@Sirzy

As with any funeral it is up to the parents to decide what they feel is best for the children.

Well yes but also part of 'what is best' in the thought process of the parents in question is 'will attending increase or reduce George's chances of becoming monarch'!

[EbbyEbs]

@NewYorkLassie

even his own wife

What century are you stuck in?!

You think they’d let him marry Sharon the barmaid from Croydon? Come on.

And do think they’d let him marry a bloke?

[toomuchlaundry]

@TeenDivided the afternoon Windsor service is being televised too

[GhostFromTheOtherSide]

Christ I am sick of hearing about harry and William walking behind Diana’s coffin.

A, it was their mother.

B, there was a lot of publicity surrounding her death based on the manner in which she died.

C, she was 33.

The queen was 96. She had reached the natural end of her life. And the children will already be aware that A, their great granny is likely to die soon, a child of 9 is going to know that whoever great granny is, I remember hoping mine would at least live to 100 so she could get a telegram from the queen. Also their great grandad died recently so they know about old people dying.

And b, there are protocols surrounding these things.

[KTKismet]

The private funeral at Windsor is obviously very different to the State funeral.

My comment about preserve his childhood has nothing to do with hiding the fact his great grandmother has died... As a previous poster has said that would be some feat if they had managed to keep that hidden. It's about the fact it seems unnecessary for a child to be wheeled out for optics. Particularly when there are so many rules about who walks where/ sits where etc and as someone else said, it's unlikely that he can be nestled between mum and dad for a snuggle if he gets upset or overwhelmed.

At Wimbledon, the weather and heat were unseasonably warm, he was still expected to dress "appropriately" royal... Shirt and tie! That seemed ridiculous to me! I get it prepares him for the life ahead where there is a lot expected of you but, as a mum of two, it was shorts and t-shirt weather for kids not shirt and tie! Sometimes the optics seem to take precedence.

Again in relation to shielding from death, I was raised Catholic and attended many funerals where the coffin was brought home, open casket for prayers for days before, so it's not about hiding death. We openly discuss it, and my 5 year old chats about the fact the queen died, and is going "into her grave" on Monday.

[hollyivysaurus]

The private family burial, absolutely fine for him to attend. As a mother I don’t think any of the children should have to go through that media circus.

[Fizbosshoes]

DS came to my Dads (his gd) funeral when he was 9. We explained what it would be like and gave him the choice, and he wanted to come (he didn't come to the crematorium)

However the service was probably less than an hour,( plus a wake afterwards) we could cry, laugh, hug, hold hands without anyone (hopefully) judging and it wasn't filmed and broadcast all over the world. And the Queens funeral looks like it will last (and hence they will be "on show") all day