James Viscount Severn

[RoachTheHorse]

He looks so so young standing vigil. That must be hard.

WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps I’m not really sure I’ve been either pedantic or ludicrous actually. Those children have been protected from the circus which is entirely sensible. In a different era I’m not sure that would have necessarily been the case.

I thought they kept very composed during the vigil. I seriously dont think I could have done it myself. I would have to think of something, anything to try and distarct me from getting upset about it.

I do think that the live-stream and constant tv footage has robbed things like the vigal of some of their poignancy.

the televised aspects of it all so far have enhanced it as far as I'm concerned.

Medals were gifts from the Queen, Diamond and Platinum jubilee souvenirs. They all got them, James was allowed to wear his for the first time today in respect to his gran.

I think it depends on relationships. My 14 year old is very close with his grandparents. He would want to do this if his cousins were there but would find it very upsetting I think. And having loads of people coming in watching you and the coffin…very hard. I was in my 20’s when my grandma died and devastated. I wouldn’t have kept my composure at something like this.

He was there last night with his mum and sister as were all the grandchildren except William and Harry. He watched his dad, so he knew what the room would look like, what the atmosphere was like and what would happen (including what it would be like with the public walking past).
He was also positioned feet away from his parents. All he had to do was tilt his head slightly and he would have seen them (Louise was put on the other side, so couldn't have done this). No-one would have blamed him for looking straight ahead (so that he could see his parents).
I think he did astoundingly, I also think that there was a lot of parenting put it into it by Sophie and Edward to prepare both of them and make sure they were supported.

James VS taking part in the vigil for his grandmother in a calm and peaceful setting (albeit with millions watching) was different to William and Harry walking behind their mothers coffins through weeping crowds. Edward and Sophie strike me as very protective parents and I really doubt he was forced to do it and I'd imagine it was considered thoroughly.

(For some reason I've become strangely protective of the Royals this last week. Doubtless some will think it is successful PR, but they look so flipping vulnerable a lot of the time)

And it looks like the daily mail is now headlining with it being borderline whether George goes to the funeral or not with advisors saying it would be ‘good for the public’. Really I think the public should be the very last consideration- no one should have any expectations of a 9 year old. It should be about whether he wants to go and even if he does whether he’d be able to cope with it and the media glare.

This made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. People say that children or young people are incredibly resilient to make themselves feel better, but having had my children lose a close relative, I would not put them through this for anything. The marching, the public staring, the standing with head bowed on a platform, I can't believe with Queen would have actually wanted that, as by all accounts she had loving and warm and private relationships with her grandchildren. I absolutely do not think 14 year olds should be shut out of funerals, but that wasn't a funeral and demanded of them to be unemotional, march in step and perform in a way that made me feel uncomfortable. It is not at all the same as attending a regular funeral in which there are no constrictions on your grieving or crying and where you could leave or move if you wanted, as well as have family hug you or comfort you if you found it difficult.

Lots of people found it moving, I found it disturbing. I'm so over the Royal Family and this epic grieving performance over 10 days, it's feeling more and more staged and less and less like anyone is actually sad. If they want to allow the grandchildren special time with the coffin, or to participate in the funeral itself as a mourner, that would have been fine.

@DisforDarkChocolate you can disagree all you like, it still doesn't make your statement any less factually incorrect! One of her sons ( I can't remember off the top of my head which one but I think it may have been Harry) was unsure if they wanted to do it, and Philip asked if it would make it easier for them if he walked with them!

I did not mean, by the way, that the children themselves weren't sad, clearly they were. I meant that the public are treating it as a day out or an adventure, and that doesn't feel very nice to me.

My son was 11 when my dad died. If they had been a similar to thing, he would have wanted to do it. I feel that Edward and Sophie wouldn’t have forced him.

I felt it was very intrusive to have the public walking through during their vigil and the queue could have been paused briefly till it was over.

Given the errors in that article - states the funeral
is tomorrow and that only the Tindall girls of the gr-grandchildren were at the vigil - I’d say that carries even less weight than their usual shite.

He may well have chosen to do it. It doesn't mean it was the right thing to ask him to do.

The horrendous things that happen to ordinary teenagers every day and you're worried about this individual? Get up off your knees. He'll be fine.

I wonder if seeing James do the vigil would have been hard on William and Harry. Of course it's not the same as their walk behind their mother's coffin. Still, I think in their position I might find it a bit triggering, whether they'd chosen to do that walk or not.

The medals are the Queen gave all her family members Jubilee medals. So James would have Golden and Platinum medals.

I agree. My son read at his gran's funeral at 13 and a year later at 14 read at his grandad's. He was very close to both of them and it was really important to him to be able to do that. I'm sure James feels the same albeit he does have the world watching.

Oh FFS, they are 9, 7, and 4 years old. Stop being so pedantic and ludicrous.

Why so aggressive and rude?

Yes that would have been much better

Yes they seem to be brilliant parents. I do think Sophie looked uneasy about it though.

Sorry. I've just read somewhere that 14 isn't a child. Really?

Yes you are. You may be an older child, but still a child. Albeit one in that halfway place where you're old enough to do some things and not others.

I have no doubt that he wanted to do this but that doesn't stop him looking young or it being difficult.

Like others, I think he was old enough to choose and this situation, mourning his 96yo Granny, is entirely different to W&H walking for all l that time behind their Mum who had a sudden and very unexpected death.

I think the formation and walking in time was quite normal for such an occasion and would have come naturally to W&Ah with their military backgrounds. The others just having to follow would have made it much easier than them having to think about a free flow jumble. Did anyone else spot Eugenie go to take. Step up too soon and the stop? It doesn't matter, but to me it showed how well coordinated they were and it would have frankly looked a disrespectful mess if they hadn't. It was a lovely touch having Louise and James in the middle.

Not that we'll ever know, but FWIW, if W&H thought it was a bad idea for James based on their past, I'd like to think they would have spoken up. Similarly, I've no doubt his parents would have absolutely forbidden it if they were worried, given he is still a minor. It would have been just as fine for the Queen's adult GC to do the vigil and I don't think any of the public would have thought twice.

As for Sophie, FWIW, I don't think she looked concerned in a way that suggests she didn't want him to be there. I would guess a mixture of sorrow and pride in her children. She is grieving herself, after all,

Perhaps if everyone just stopped reading the Daily Mail they would stop writing all this stuff