HRH The Prince Philip Funeral

[IamnotH]

Watching on BBC 1. Wish Huw would shut up and let us listen to the bands/watch them March.

Eugenie and Beatrice were sitting separately with their respective husbands.

@freckles20

Sadly so many people have sat alone in their grief over the last year. It is brutal. But it feels important that the royals are subject to the same constraints as the rest of us.

I agree. I think it was very important that they abide by the same Rules as the rest of us. I thought the ceremony was quite moving. The Dean and the Archbishop are dull readers both, but the singing was beautiful, the military very respectful and the 'personal touches' far more moving than would have been the case with a big pomp and circumstance London funeral. I expect the Queen will get on with it (in fact did restart her duties four days after PP died) but it will hit her hard. She looked very small and alone.

*pot

@wusbanker

Can anyone please explain why the Queen was sat alone but Eugenie, Beatrice etc were all sat together?

They weren't all sat together. Eugenie was sat with her husband, then there was a gap either side of her before Beatrice and Zara with their husbands

The Queen was alone in her row only until Andrew, Anne, Tim and Harry sat in that row after they walked behind the procession.

@wusbanker

Can anyone please explain why the Queen was sat alone but Eugenie, Beatrice etc were all sat together?

The others were sat in their family bubbles

I thought it was really lovely and very moving. So many personal touches.
It was heartbreaking to see HMQ, Anne, Sophie and Charles so visibly upset.

@CokeDrinker your post does unfortunately not surprise me. Very sad.

janfeb not sure if rules or protocols but for the service I organised we never really pushed it as it was made kind of ‘obvious’ that this wasn’t the place. While service and music chosen by family in consult with choir master and priest. Event afterwards did all of that more personal stuff/ eulogies ad hoc stuff etc.

@wusbanker

Can anyone please explain why the Queen was sat alone but Eugenie, Beatrice etc were all sat together?

Beatrice and Eugenie were sitting with their husbands but they weren't together. Each household was sitting separately. I think some of the camera shots made those on the back row appear closer together and the Queen further apart but she had Prince Andrew 2 metres away from her.

I didn't think I would cry but I did buckets ! I think it was the lovely music and seeing how small the queen looked and also seeing Harry.

I'm not a great royal fan, but needless to say, watched it all.
Strangely, I found it very moving.
However, I hope the Gov feel thoroughly ashamed that their rules mean an elderly woman has to sit on her own in church. (remember the youtube video of a funeral, that was stopped when someone went to comfort his mother?)
Also, for some reason, furnerals are only allowed 30 people, which in a 'chapel' like St George's is rather silly. Same for weddings, where I believe you can now have 15 (may be wrong). Yet many churches could comfortably have loads more with SD still in place.
I mean, that when Prince Philip chose the hymns, he probably envisaged a congregation singing them.
However, I found the whole thing very moving, including the procession, his carriage, etc, and choice of music

I am actually amazed that anyone could describe that funeral as ‘cold’. It was formal and dignified. I found the ritual and ceremony moving and the chosen music performed beautifully and movingly. I think it was very fitting for a gentleman of his generation and stature.

I hadn’t planned on watching it closely but was entranced by the whole thing.

As sad as it was to see the Queen alone I don’t think we would have seen her been fussed around anyway. She doesn’t strike me as the kind to allow that to happen in public and this was her husbands last public formality and her duty to him would be to see it through with dignity and poise. I’m sure in private she is grieving as much as anybody would be and I’m glad she has the Duchess of Wessex and her ladies in waiting to support her.

There were gaps of 2 or 3 seats between each household.
Andrew was 2 seats away from the queen.

Her and Prince Phillip didn't live together in the traditional sense for a long time. It's not like my Nan and grandad who were joined at the hip

I do wish people would stop spouting this bile. Especially today. It's rude.

@ApplyWithin I thought that was a lovely touch.

The F1 was much better viewing.

I thought Prince Charles looked visibly upset. He’s always found it hard to strike the balance between formality and emotion I think. He’s not really inherited his parents stuff upper lips although Camilla looked like she was supporting him well.

I thought it was beautiful

@SoupDragon it's not bile. They spent long periods apart- PP retired to Sandringham.

My Nan literally wouldn't have known how to live alone without my grandad. He did everything practical and she just cooked the tea. He would drive her to the shops. Thankfully she went first.

I'm not saying she won't be incredibly sad but my comment was in response to a PP asking who was going to move in with her now she'd be alone.

Her and Prince Phillip didn't live together in the traditional sense for a long time. It's not like my Nan and grandad who were joined at the hip

At the very least they'd spent the last year in one another's bubble.
Whilst their relationship may not have been as your grandparents was I'd imagine they were very close to one another and held one another in love and affection. It certainly came across that way. We

Incredibly moving. The opposite of cold.

I was only listening on the radio but the sense of sadness and solemnity was very powerful. Less is more on this occasion.

@Cornettoninja

I thought Prince Charles looked visibly upset. He’s always found it hard to strike the balance between formality and emotion I think. He’s not really inherited his parents stuff upper lips although Camilla looked like she was supporting him well.

I thought he looked totally bereft . It's weird, I've never really thought much of the royal family - to me they were more like a business (you know what I mean!), but today they were simply a grieving family

I thought it was incredibly personal. All the troops and regiments he was familiar with, his carriage and ponies, the land rover, all the pieces of music, songs, readings.

All chosen by him. Exactly as he wanted.

As the commentator at one point said, forever behind the queen, on this day, the first and last time he went before her.

It was all him.

Did anyone see the coffin go into the vault? I was puzzled as it suddenly disappeared then I realised it had gone down !! Not sure if it was shown.

The bit that I found most poignant was when the Queen went into the chapel and paused to look behind her - she must be so used to having DofE at her shoulder. She looked so tiny and fragile.

It's been a beautiful day today. The best day of the year so far. I spent it outside in the park, meeting friends for a picnic

It's been a long cold dark winter