Prince Philip, from an foreigner's perspective

[Kishkashta]

I am not English, but have been living here for quite a while. And I just don't get what all the fuss is about with prince Philip.

Every single article I read (there are a lot of them lately...) mentions his unconventional personality and sense of humor. But the thing is, from my experience, this is just cookie cutter behavior of the (especially older male) members of the British upper class. These politically incorrect jokes that kind of just stir the water a bit and slightly off kilter behavior. I just find it weird how in these articles it is presented as something unique about him whereas in reality all these stories are just something that describes essentially his class rather than his personality.

Also I don't know how anybody can take seriously the attempts to paint his life as full of hardships (had to give up his "Navy career" to support the Queen - the only reason he had his kind of career is obviously his background and marriage, etc).

To me, from these descriptions, he just seems to be an extremely ordinary person who literally did nothing special other than existing until age 99...

Is there something I don't get about this?

@pippy1958 watch another channel ?
Not all are showing it
Its because they haven't got much new so gives them easy tv , but its easy to turn over

Alltheprettyseahorses - Nothing is being imposed upon you. You have a choice, you can watch the TV tributes to PP or turn over or switch the TV off. If you feel embarrassed that's because you choose to. The only thing that needs to change is your way of thinking. You cannot control what other people do but you can control how it affects you.

There isn’t even all that much about PP on TV at the moment. It’s no longer the main headline now, it’s been overtaken by the opening up of non essential shops and there’s also been the death of Shirley Williams.

yes, imposed is a very strong word indeed.

There are places in the world where rules are imposed - in fact, there are the Labour party are busy imposing language on people or banishment from "polite society" (nothing polite about it, I mean) ensues....

Imposed - give over - research the world a little more before crying into your cup of tea over being apparently forced to watch coverage of the reigning monarch's consort dying....

Maybe the posters complaining about national mourning being imposed on them have a flagpole so they had to fly their flag at half mast. Can’t really think how else they have been impacted

The BBC I think have been forced to tone it down because they had so many complaints about the wall to wall coverage - so plenty of people object to a period of national mourning being imposed on the country. And it is being imposed, because we have been told we are in 8 days of national mourning - which is a damn cheek when loads of the country don't give a rooty toot toot and you can't make them.

Solemn faced TV presenters are intoning 'the nation is in mourning' - erm, speak for yourself, no one I know really cares.

@Alltheprettyseahorses

worried, it really does affect me. I'm having to live in a country that's governed by people who think it's appropriate to do that. I feel embarrassed by it. I'm affected by a rigid class system that results in one privileged old man being elevated over millions of wonderful, hard-working people just because of an accident of birth. Please don't tell me it doesn't affect me or all of us.

You make a good point but you will be lambasted I’m sure.

If we had a president and they died in office we would have period of national mourning too. Would that be okay?

Yes, I was very sad to hear about Shirley Williams earlier - always really admired her, certainly didn't always agree with her - but really liked her (complicated concept for lots on here.... like someone but don't agree with them)...
do not compute, do not compute

I was always put in mind of Iris Murdoch - (someone I've always also admired) whenever I think of Shirley and the same thought process happened today - both very impressive people and as you get older the more people that you admired when you were young that die is very thought provoking - for those that can think, that is.

You don't always have to "know" someone to reflect on their life and want to pause to reflect and feel sad. Currently the UK are showing respect to the Queen really, not just PP - no doubt it will change before too long now we have 24 hour rolling news - however, give the woman a break complaining all over the place about something that'll be done with soon enough and you can get back to watching Ant & Dec? what is it that everyone's missing on TV exactly, it's passed me by for sure.....

Are you actually joking...? He was the husband to the QUEEN of the commonwealth...!!!
He gave up his career to become a SAHP whilst his wife ruled. This was extremely rare in those days as it was always the man who was the breadwinner.
He's also done loads for charity, environment and young people.

@Marmaladeagain

I was sad, too, at her death. I studied politics at uni at the time when she was a key figure in politics and I always had a lot of respect for her. (I’ve mainly voted Lib Dem, so I mostly did agree with her. )

I agree, though, that it isn’t necessary to agree with everything a public stands for to have respect for them.

He gave up his career to become a SAHP whilst his wife ruled.

nice work if you can get it!

He gave up his career to become a SAHP

Somewhat implies looking after the children all day. Somehow I doubt that was what filled his days.

"alltheprettyseahorses

worried, it really does affect me. I'm having to live in a country that's governed by people who think it's appropriate to do that. I feel embarrassed by it. I'm affected by a rigid class system that results in one privileged old man being elevated over millions blah, blah, blah bleet bleet

You did read Animal Farm didn't you - you know how it ends those sort of stupid statements ..... Just another leg up for someone with a curly tail that doesn't really care about you in quite the way you'd like, after all etc.

Nothing's perfect and that statement of yours is as low rent as it gets on political theory - .... I take it you'd be happy with the new inhabitants of the Farm? baa baa put someone like Kier Starmer in and really have "enforced language" and enforced truth then.

At least the current imperfect system doesn't allow some idiot of the current identity politics to sweep into town - you'd know about enforced speech and thought then. The RF are representative of a continuing relationship between the UK electorate/people and in between and separate of government - it is imperfect but I really don't see any inspirational people I'd like to do the job of representing the people and throwing a government out on our behalf (dissolving) if push came to shove one day.

@bedtimeshoes

Are you actually joking...? He was the husband to the QUEEN of the commonwealth...!!! He gave up his career to become a SAHP whilst his wife ruled. This was extremely rare in those days as it was always the man who was the breadwinner. He's also done loads for charity, environment and young people.

Such fine irony

Anyway OP. A polite and fair summary, but didn't you know that forriners are not allowed to express opinions about anything British? Tut tut.

I use Keir Starmer not as representative of Labour party, just some weak minded easily known individual that'll agree with anything for a sniff of power etc. What's the permitted language - he's been doing a dance around visiting a church recently for goodness sake. Have your own opinion on something man...

What @ChelseaCat said
You don’t have to get anything. If you can’t respect the amazing work that Prince Philip did then at least show some bloody respect for the fact that someone has lost their husband of 70-something years, their father, their grandfather. Whether you know or like someone, you can still be respectful when they die. It is not for you to “get”.

See epic bold fail above!!

for you op

@HeadNorth

The BBC I think have been forced to tone it down because they had so many complaints about the wall to wall coverage - so plenty of people object to a period of national mourning being imposed on the country. And it is being imposed, because we have been told we are in 8 days of national mourning - which is a damn cheek when loads of the country don't give a rooty toot toot and you can't make them.

Solemn faced TV presenters are intoning 'the nation is in mourning' - erm, speak for yourself, no one I know really cares.

I agree, no one I know has even mentioned it, except to say the coverage of it the first couple of days was insane. Most of us have our own more pressing issues and our own loved ones to grieve over. I'm glad there were a lot of complaints over the coverage it shows that the days of deference to royalty may be on the way out. 🤞

"Longest serving consort"; because he stayed alive for 99 years?
Environmentalist - Again, not really, he was very into shooting and hunting.
Wrote many books - Well, yes, but people in very privileged positions do, don't they? Because they sell. It's not like he didn't have ghost writers, and have to scraping about publishers begging to be published.
War hero - his uncle was the head of the Navy.

I agree his longest serving consort is just a historical and factual comment. But 22000 solo support for charities and other things apart from what he did with the Queen until he retired at 95 has to earn some respect.

Mountbatten was not "head of the navy" until after WW2. Phillip earnt his stripes without any influence. Matapan? He was a much better sailor than Mountbatten.

I agree he never sorted out his environmental concerns - in which he was ahead of most people - against his love of shooting. I would suspect he argued that some animals need to be culled but I don't see his point when it comes to imported pheasants.

Do none of you own a remote control ??
As someone else said you don't have to know someone or like them even to show respect by just ignoring and moving on
I bet half of you saying how privileged they are etc aren't sitting in a council house on a minimum wage .
Just get on with your life's

"He didn't suffer fools easily"

Anyone else HATE this expression?? Who DOES suffer fools easily? What it usually means is someone tears a strip off a shy/nervous person, as a fool wouldn't care what others thought of them

@MythicalBiologicalFennel except no one has really said that other than you

That confirms it, doesn't it? He spent WWII enjoying cocktails on the deck, the elitist twat. Couldn't possibly have actually done anything, being a toff, and all.
Brilliant!
😂😂