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?

they moved to Malta with Charles and Anne and lived a fairly "normal" military family life for a while

I think Charles and Anne were left at home. Ditto during months long royal tours. I don't think they were hands on parents which is probably why Prince Charles was so devastated when the Queen Mother died. She was his surrogate mother,along with the nannies of course,for much of his early childhood.

But,anyway OP, PP gets all this fuss because he married the Sovereign and did all the things previously listed. It doesn't matter what he was or wasn't like or how privileged he was. It was a unique position in our country.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philip_Movement

Yeah, I also had no particular admiration for him. YANBU.

It is terribly sad for his family. I wish them the best. But it no more to me than anyone else losing their spouse after such a long marriage, or losing their Dad or Grandpa.

@osbertthesyrianhamster

Being foreign doesn't mean you have to bow to all things establishment you know., at least in a democratic country such as the UK.

It's not bowing to refrain from insulting institutions in the country that allowed you to live there. I find that pretty crass and impolite.

Nah, nobody "allowed" me to live here, I am not a refugee. Like most foreigners in this country I am here because my profession is useful for this country. It will do you well to remember this when you deal with people like me in the future.

You're not wrong, OP, and I did meet him once, years ago. Standard-issue aristocrat of his generation, with a classically dysfunctional upbringing, an air of barely-concealed irritation, and a liking for genially-uttered racist 'gaffes'.

Op no you don’t have to think a certain way about PP to live here. Many don’t.

@VladmirsPoutine

Wow the bootlicking on this thread is off the charts. OP much like you I don't really get the fuss either but I'd absolutely love to be a royal - never having to do any work and being fawned over. Fancy an egg McMuffin at 3am in the morning and it's yours!

I'd get bored with being fawned over very quickly. I'm not particularly strong pro/anti The British Monarchy but the idea they don't do any work seems odd. Having to sound interested whilst visiting a million dreary places and not ever being able to wander around on my own as sell as being on duty 24/7 seems like a nightmare. For the same reason I'd loathe being a celeb, despite all the potential for wealth.

It's not bowing to refrain from insulting institutions in the country that allowed you to live there.

I will never not find it remarkable that some people think immigrants or non Brits should feel some sense of 'pride' or reverence to this country for "allowing" them to be here. It's almost as though they haven't a clue about their history.

And for those going on about DoE awards. They're great. But public service was literally his job. It's not like he set it up on the weekends and evenings after he got in from 8 hours hard slog to make ends meet.

@osbertthesyrianhamster

I'm foreign, too. I completely disagree with your analysis. I find it really condescending and quite insulting and your post seethes with a lot of ill-feeling towards the country you're in. If you really feel that way, why stay? I've had moments where I swither, I've been here a long time, too, but if in my country, it's very much if you don't like it here, there's the door.

YABVU.

What rubbish. Should British people who are not particular fans of PP also leave the country? It's not the middle ages any more. It's not treason to express an opinion about the royal family.

@Grumblesigh

Yeah, I also had no particular admiration for him. YANBU.

It is terribly sad for his family. I wish them the best. But it no more to me than anyone else losing their spouse after such a long marriage, or losing their Dad or Grandpa.

Oh you vile, nasty person. How dare you not be in mourning for the national grandfather. To the tower with you!

It will do you well to remember this when you deal with people like me in the future.

FWIW Op, I agree with some of the points you make (and I was born here).
But - I do think the Queen has been a public servant and has devoted her life to being our head of state in a way I couldn't have faced. I suspect support for the monarchy here will plummet when she dies, because it's been personified by her for so long.
Prince Philip was probably the only real friend and confidante for her for 70+ years, so there's a bit of a feeling of the connection there.

As for reading articles about him - I have dodged them all. Like you, I have no great desire to read fawning accounts of his life. He was dealt some cards like all of us, like all of us he played his hand better than others at times.

I am a "forriner" too so I get where you're coming from. YANBU. I grew up in India, am a first generation immigrant to the UK. All the fawning and tenuous connections of how he had an impact on the Commonwealth really surprises me. I mean the RF or the Commonwealth was not relevant in any way to the ordinary citizen there. (You were briefly interested in the CW games if you were a sporty teen but that was about it)

And the slightly rude older gent is not limited to a UC British aristocrat, trust me. My grandpa was wildly inappropriate until his death at 95 🤣🤣

The only difference is Prince Philip seemed to have an international audience for his "jokes"

He certainly seems a remarkable man but he is being painted as some kind of Superman/ Super Husband.

Just diving in to add that as well as being a decorated for his actions in the British Navy in WW2, he was one of the founding members of the World Wildlife Fund, instrumental in setting up the DoE award, he was also president of the FEI (International Equestrian Federation) the body that overseas all equestrian international sport. As part of this he popularised the sport of carriage driving, and set up the Prince Philip Cup competition for gymkhana games in an effort to allow more children the opportunity to compete at the Horse of the Year Show. On top of all of this, he remained happily married to the same woman for 73 years, and worked to support her for nearly all of that. He was always a delight to meet at horsey events and a proper gentleman. I have a friend who is a similar age to PP, and I think that anyone who gets to that age has amazing stories to tell. I am very much enjoying reading about his life in the news, and think he is a far more worthy recipient of such posthumous attention compared to, say a footballer or pop star.

literally did nothing special other than existing until age 99...

Have a for that alone.
You don't have to like him to appreciate the many things he achieved in his life.

Prince Philip was probably the only real friend and confidante

Confidant! Confidante is female.

I'm guessing you are American by your spelling of behaviour and humour. Are you a Megsy Sugar that wants to bash the UK

@Grumblesigh

And for those going on about DoE awards. They're great. But public service was literally his job. It's not like he set it up on the weekends and evenings after he got in from 8 hours hard slog to make ends meet.

I naively presumed it just bore his name and he attended the events. I didn't realise he administered it himself!

Nah, nobody "allowed" me to live here, I am not a refugee. Like most foreigners in this country I am here because my profession is useful for this country. It will do you well to remember this when you deal with people like me in the future.

Nice end to your sentence there... and putting people in their place. Refugees FYI flee from war torn etc situations, my GF was similar abroad.

Was listening to the radio (ok, Radio 2 ) and one of the royal photographers was talking about his, 'gaffes,' when he asked the Aboriginal groups if they, 'still used spears..' Apparently much of the context was missing and while he admitted he did in fact use these words, it was in reference to having spoken earlier with another tribe who said they used to use spears.

As a foreigner, not sure I understand the adulation either, but do quite appreciate the D of E scheme. Maybe it needed someone high profile to give it credibility in the early days, but it's a great programme.

My favourite DoE story that I’ve heard for the first time since his death is about his trip to the US to represent the UK at JFKs funeral - he was found in the playroom by Jackie Kennedy playing games with JFK Jr (who was not yet 3 years old).

There are photos of DoE at Runnymede during the dedication of a plot of land as a memorial to JFK holding hands with the young boy.

This thread has more detail and the pictures: twitter.com/westwingreport/status/1380614762753572877?s=21

I think you do get it, you just want to be rude and wind people up because you know lots of people here feel sentimental about the royals.

I am not into the royal family either and I find the obsessive enthusiasm for them to be a weird part of our culture. But that's how it is and that's why the articles are written the way they are instead of being brutally honest and critical. Again I think you do get this OP.

@HaveringWavering

Prince Philip was probably the only real friend and confidante

Confidant! Confidante is female.

Thank you, a fair point, well made.

You are right OP.
He HAD to be the patron of charities. That's what members of the royal family do. He didn't do it out of the good of his heart.
He lived until 99 because he was well looked after and had good food and low stress and good housing and good doctors all his life.
He was a lucky man who lived a charmed life. He wasn't a hero. I don't admire him. I don't admire any of them.
I don't know what's wrong with British people. They love all this faux grief and pomp and ceremony. It makes me so cross.