Duke of Edinburgh has died

[puntingking]

I won't be partaking in the 3pm silence this afternoon.

Lots of people die each day and I don't think a wealthy old man should get a minute silence.
Maybe poor kids that die of cancer each year should get minute silence. Not wealthy dukes.
Sorry. But I will be enjoying the afternoon sunshine if the sun stays out that long. 

[petermisc]

Agree with you on Paris about marketing, but think tourist come to London for the history, buildings and culture. Also remember London is not the only place that tourist visit in the UK, London centric people may believe it is but is not.
Think about the tourist who visit Florence for the history, buildings and culture it has no royal family, but is full of tourist. I don’t think even Americans are stupid enough to think they are going to bump into the royal family.

Agreed.  But the value of the royal family to tourism is the publicity they bring to the UK.  Every time the Queen or Prince Charles receives a foreign head of state at Buckingham Palace, or visits a foreign country, the publicity value for the UK's history and culture is huge. 

Presidents Higgins or Steinmeier, for example, just do not have the same publicity value (the current heads of state of Ireland and Germany, in case anyone was wondering).  And while Trump may have kept the US in the headlines, I doubt the kind of things Trump stood for, were the kind of things that attracted many tourists.  While hopefully there aren't many tourists who expect to see the Queen, the number of tourists that she draws here is huge.

[petermisc]

I won't be partaking in the 3pm silence this afternoon.
Lots of people die each day and I don't think a wealthy old man should get a minute silence.

If that is all he was, I might have agreed with you.  But it is far from all he was.

[PunterNumber69]

RIP

[Yankee21]

Lovely service that.

[Doc Holliday]

Lovely service that.

Certainly was.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Indeed it was!, my ex over en France just texted to say that everyone they know was glued to their TV's and was very impressed with it all.

Its incredible the history the country has had and indeed still has. Those service men and women I bet will proudly say to theri grandchildren that i was there when it happened:-)

[Blackpool Rock]

I actually took today's coverage as an opportunity to turn the TV off rather than having it on in the background, it was rather nice having peace and quiet for a change

[Markus]

I wasn’t going to watch but ended up doing so for some reason.  It didn’t seem drawn out and the Coronavirus helped in keeping it small and intimate (as small as can possibly be with national coverage). 

The national commentators on Sky News really were struggling for things to talk about.  They almost started talking about why Prince Andrew has been keeping a low profile

[lamboman]

I won't be partaking in the 3pm silence this afternoon.

Lots of people die each day and I don't think a wealthy old man should get a minute silence.
Maybe poor kids that die of cancer each year should get minute silence. Not wealthy dukes.
Sorry. But I will be enjoying the afternoon sunshine if the sun stays out that long. 

Envy not a nice trait.

[Private Parts]

The passing and subsequent funeral of the Duke
Does not merit the ridicule that seems to be ‘au courant’ ( look it up)
It is pathetic.
I really do worry for this nation when someone is prepared to speak his mind
 to hell with the rest, and then gets shouted down.

A very dignified send off. And when HM gets her call the powers-that-be will settle
Him alongside Her.

Just my opinion and understanding
 

[Chorley]

I didn't watch it but did have a little moment of silence at 3pm, purely due to his military service, which I have huge respect for. 

[filthy.john]

Envy not a nice trait.

Worse than that - it evidences someone who has failed to read, watch or listen to any of the tributes of the past few days. I thoughjt I knew a bit about our Royal Family, but there was a considerable amount about this man and the dignified way he carried on throughout our Queen's reign - and pre-dating that - to admire.

[myothernameis]

If that is all he was, I might have agreed with you.  But it is far from all he was.

Seems round where I work, there was no one minute silence, as the shops never bother announcing it

[myothernameis]

Today's funeral, I suppose they could consider this a dry run, of what us likely to come in the next few years.  So at sometime, the queens passing is going to take front stage, and depending on restrictions, and how bad covid-19 infections are, will dictate the funeral plans

[sparkus]

Today's funeral, I suppose they could consider this a dry run, of what us likely to come in the next few years.  So at sometime, the queens passing is going to take front stage, and depending on restrictions, and how bad covid-19 infections are, will dictate the funeral plans

From what I can gather, most did comply with the authorities' requests to stay away from the event, which was held in accordance with his wishes.

There were one or two 'It's all about me' idiots interviewed by the news in Windsor the day before but I did sense this could have the ability to rile a certain kind of person eg. combination of covid regs and perception of not being 'allowed' to participate in patriotism.

Assuming the Queen has a few years left in her (her mother died at 101 and drank a lot more) then there's no reason to imagine why her funeral wouldn't be the kind of carefully rehearsed pomp fuelled pageantry you'd expect.

[sparkus]

Seems round where I work, there was no one minute silence, as the shops never bother announcing it

I was in the park lapping up the decent weather and enjoying the sights, life goes on I'm afraid.

[winkywanky]

I recorded the BBC funeral programme and then skimmed through it.

It was a fair few minutes of dignified, quiet reflection, on old Phil mainly of course, but also Her Maj, The Royal Family in general, our Armed Forces and our culture and history.

Covid prevented it being what it could and should have been, nevertheless it was obvious (and had been plainly stated) that the funeral was of his own designing, and all the better for it IMO.

I'm not a fervent Royalist but I really appreciated the whole thing, especially the musical items and the small choir which performed them. I thought it was a jolly good send-off, and an opportunity to take stock on a few things. Dignified and understated, just like the man himself  . I had a lot of time for the geezer, and it was good that his whole story was told because you cannot form a good picture of what someone was like without looking at all sides of them. He spoke his mind (from within the position he held) and ultimately he was a no-bullshit type of person, deal with it, get on with it, be a doer and not a complainer. Modern society in the UK could learn a lot from him, over the last few years we have heard nothing but whining and bleating from every pathetic corner, a lot of it totally unjustified.

You wonder how long Liz will last now, she seems to be in rude health but longstanding married couples often lose the second fairly soon after the first.

[puntingking]

I was in the park lapping up the decent weather and enjoying the sights, life goes on I'm afraid.

I was in my garden blazing out some music enjoying the weather with a can of beer.
I will choose music in the sunshine any day over watching any royal occasion. 

[sparkus]

I was in my garden blazing out some music enjoying the weather with a can of beer.
I will choose music in the sunshine any day over watching any royal occasion. 

To be honest, if we'd spent the day boning any fanny we could find then Big Phil would probably have approved.

It tends to be people outside the royal family who seek to regulate (or denigrate) the behaviour of their fellow subjects in not standing to attention etc.

[Private Parts]

I was in my garden blazing out some music enjoying the weather with a can of beer.
I will choose music in the sunshine any day over watching any royal occasion. 

I’m sure the rest of the neighbourhood enjoyed your self indulgence. The veracity of a man’s ability is that he doesn’t make a song and dance about it.
I’m sure you understand my opinion
 

[Private Parts]

WW. You are quite right.
You do not have to fly the flag in order to appreciate a person’s contribution to our land.
It makes me sad to see our population throw it all away.
No respect for Man.
I’m sorry.

[David1970]

I was in my garden blazing out some music enjoying the weather with a can of beer.

Thank fuck your not my neighbour.

[petermisc]

I was in my garden blazing out some music enjoying the weather with a can of beer.
I will choose music in the sunshine any day over watching any royal occasion. 

That you felt the need to publicly denigrate a man on the day of his funeral, says far more about you than it does about him.  That you follow that up by showing no respect whatsoever for others who may wish to be paying a minutes silence, just amplifies that.

The Duke was someone who time and again put the needs of others first, a concept that appears to be totally alien to you.

[Blackpool Rock]

I was in my garden blazing out some music enjoying the weather with a can of beer.
I will choose music in the sunshine any day over watching any royal occasion. 

What were you blasting out 
External Link/Members Only

[petermisc]

I recorded the BBC funeral programme and then skimmed through it.
It was a fair few minutes of dignified, quiet reflection, on old Phil mainly of course, but also Her Maj, The Royal Family in general, our Armed Forces and our culture and history.

Personally, I think funerals are private affairs for close friends and family to mourn the departed.  I have to admit I found the close-up shots of the Queen sitting alone grieving rather intrusive. 

You wonder how long Liz will last now, she seems to be in rude health but longstanding married couples often lose the second fairly soon after the first.

Our family doctor made exactly the same point when my father died.  My father had been in good health when my mother died, but passed not much more than a year later.

All those commentators saying how the Queen will soldier on regardless don't seem to appreciate how radically such a loss can affect a person.  Yes, hopefully she will soldier on, but to just assume that she will carry on as before as though nothing has changed is ridiculous.  Her life has changed out of all recognition.

[willie loman]

Personally, I think funerals are private affairs for close friends and family to mourn the departed.  I have to admit I found the close-up shots of the Queen sitting alone grieving rather intrusive. 
Our family doctor made exactly the same point when my father died.  My father had been in good health when my mother died, but passed not much more than a year later.

All those commentators saying how the Queen will soldier on regardless don't seem to appreciate how radically such a loss can affect a person.  Yes, hopefully she will soldier on, but to just assume that she will carry on as before as though nothing has changed is ridiculous.  Her life has changed out of all recognition.

really? i was under the impression that he had lived on his own in a cottage for the last 10 years of his life.

[lamboman]

I didn't watch the funeral but Prince Charles looked distraught in the pictures I've seen as obviously does Her Majesty.
Imagine having to go through that with it being televised and plastered all over the papers.

[willie loman]

I didn't watch the funeral but Prince Charles looked distraught in the pictures I've seen as obviously does Her Majesty.
Imagine having to go through that with it being televised and plastered all over the papers.

as the famous line goes, "this was the life they had chosen to live"

[Private Parts]

as the famous line goes, "this was the life they had chosen to live"

I wonder Willy, did you have any choice in the life you have lived?
Did you say “No Dad/Mum put it away I don’t fancy the 50/60/70’s?
Thought not. Fatuous statement

[timsussex]

as I posted early in this thread

to quote my Yorkshire Uncle

if tha' can't say summat nice then best say nowt

[willie loman]

I wonder Willy, did you have any choice in the life you have lived?
Did you say “No Dad/Mum put it away I don’t fancy the 50/60/70’s?
Thought not. Fatuous statement

no one chooses to be born, but we all decide what sort of life we will live, what is fatuous about that?

[Private Parts]

no one chooses to be born, but we all decide what sort of life we will live, what is fatuous about that?

When does an individual make that decision?

[puntingking]

That you felt the need to publicly denigrate a man on the day of his funeral, says far more about you than it does about him.  That you follow that up by showing no respect whatsoever for others who may wish to be paying a minutes silence, just amplifies that.

The Duke was someone who time and again put the needs of others first, a concept that appears to be totally alien to you.

Lots of people die each day. Some are just as good and honourable as I am sure he was. So maybe we should have a Rip page and broadcast everyone that die then 

The only people who should cry and care about the funeral of the Duke and show any kind of concern is his family and friends. Let's not forget he has died a old age.

Someone said on here what they was doing so I was making a point what I was doing as well while the funeral was also on.

It was not a sad occasion.
Kids dying of cancer. It's sad.
A old man dying at a old age who had a good life is  good.
If it's not good. Would you want him to be immortal forever?
Some day you have to die you know.

[puntingking]

What were you blasting out 
External Link/Members Only

Definitely not God saved the queen
I was listening to abit of everything really - pop, rock, punk, Country.
I got a huge selection of music 

[The Film Director]

Lots of people die each day. Some are just as good and honourable as I am sure he was. So maybe we should have a Rip page and broadcast everyone that die then 

The only people who should cry and care about the funeral of the Duke and show any kind of concern is his family and friends. Let's not forget he has died a old age.

Absolutely spot on.

[puntingking]

Absolutely spot on.

 

[JontyR]

Someone said on here what they was doing so I was making a point what I was doing as well while the funeral was also on.

So have you never been in a crowd when they have had a minutes silence or a moment of reflection? Did you see fit to make these viewpoints loudly during it? Bet you didn't.

Look, if you don't think that he warranted the coverage or exposure that has been given then fine, that's a reasonable conclusion to make. If you "missed it" as you were in a shop that didn't follow it or simply lost track of time, then yeah ok.

But surely being part of a decent, respectful, tolerant society is that if something is important to others then is it really too much to ask that you don't deliberately go out of your way to be an arse?  Because that's what it seems like on here.

[winkywanky]

as the famous line goes, "this was the life they had chosen to live"

You can't blame the present incumbents for what they were born into, the Monarchy goes beyond them as individuals, they are merely the current 'curators'. They almost literally live in a gilded cage. Those essentially on the periphery are able to leave if they wish for whatever reasons (eg Harry and Meghan) but it ill behoves them to expect to maintain the advantages of being within the Royal family when they choose to leave it.

It is for the country as a whole (via the govt) to decide whether they want a Royal Family, and if they do, what form they wish it to take. At some point there probably won't be a Royal family as we know it now, but in the meantime they have to move with the times and modern expectations or become an anachronism.

[Blackpool Rock]

So have you never been in a crowd when they have had a minutes silence or a moment of reflection? Did you see fit to make these viewpoints loudly during it? Bet you didn't.

Look, if you don't think that he warranted the coverage or exposure that has been given then fine, that's a reasonable conclusion to make. If you "missed it" as you were in a shop that didn't follow it or simply lost track of time, then yeah ok.

But surely being part of a decent, respectful, tolerant society is that if something is important to others then is it really too much to ask that you don't deliberately go out of your way to be an arse?  Because that's what it seems like on here.

I was in a pub 20-25 years ago to watch football and there was a minutes silence on the football coverage before kick off to honour whoever it was (I can't remember but it was an ex manager or something)

The whole pub went quiet and some gobby bloke came striding in through the door and exclaimed "Fuck me it's like a morgue in 'ere ain't it, whose died  )
Someone calmly said "It's a minutes silence mate so yeah someone's died"

The gobby bloke turned around and walked straight back out just as the ref blew the whistle for the end of the minute and the whole pub started pissing themselves laughing   

[winkywanky]

I was in a pub 20-25 years ago to watch football and there was a minutes silence on the football coverage before kick off to honour whoever it was (I can't remember but it was an ex manager or something)

The whole pub went quiet and some gobby bloke came striding in through the door and exclaimed "Fuck me it's like a morgue in 'ere ain't it, whose died  )
Someone calmly said "It's a minutes silence mate so yeah someone's died"

The gobby bloke turned around and walked straight back out just as the ref blew the whistle for the end of the minute and the whole pub started pissing themselves laughing   

You know what, Philip always reminded me of Jackie Charlton, seemingly 7' tall and a bit scary looking, but basically affable with a good sense of humour and never shy to speak his mind.

Oh, and he was a very capable individual who achieved a lot in his life too.

[puntingking]

I was in a pub 20-25 years ago to watch football and there was a minutes silence on the football coverage before kick off to honour whoever it was (I can't remember but it was an ex manager or something)

The whole pub went quiet and some gobby bloke came striding in through the door and exclaimed "Fuck me it's like a morgue in 'ere ain't it, whose died  )
Someone calmly said "It's a minutes silence mate so yeah someone's died"

The gobby bloke turned around and walked straight back out just as the ref blew the whistle for the end of the minute and the whole pub started pissing themselves laughing   

You cracked me up 

[puntingking]

So have you never been in a crowd when they have had a minutes silence or a moment of reflection? Did you see fit to make these viewpoints loudly during it? Bet you didn't.

Look, if you don't think that he warranted the coverage or exposure that has been given then fine, that's a reasonable conclusion to make. If you "missed it" as you were in a shop that didn't follow it or simply lost track of time, then yeah ok.

But surely being part of a decent, respectful, tolerant society is that if something is important to others then is it really too much to ask that you don't deliberately go out of your way to be an arse?  Because that's what it seems like on here.

Sorry that you don't approve of my viewpoints but they are my viewpoints.

[winkywanky]

Sorry that you don't approve of my viewpoints but they are my viewpoints.

You may not like or appreciate the Royal Family (many others are of the same view) and that's fair enough, but the guy was in the public eye for most of his life, part of a well-loved/respected traditional British cultural institution, and he achieved a lot in his life from pretty well the backseat of a marriage as Royal consort.

To say that he was just some old rich guy who died, what's the big deal, is not really accurate.

[sparkus]

The funeral's been and gone, I suggest we all move on really.

The royal family have just lost one member but they will gain another soon enough.

[Blackpool Rock]

I didn't follow it but did catch the footage on the news of William and Harry walking and talking.

Whatever has gone on and has caused the rift hopefully they both used this opportunity to reach out and build bridges, without getting into whether or not Harry is actually Charles son they are brothers and nothing should come between family.

I couldn't help but think Diana would have been very upset if the fell out with each other and if she had still been here i'm thinking she would have ensured things wouldn't have come to this to begin with 

[JontyR]

Sorry that you don't approve of my viewpoints but they are my viewpoints.

I don't have any issue with your viewpoints. It's more about the appropriateness of actions.

[petermisc]

To say that he was just some old rich guy who died, what's the big deal, is not really accurate.

There is a saying that there is no point in arguing with idiots.  I have learnt that the same applies to arguing with those who are self-centred.

[winkywanky]

There is a difference between having an instinctive point of view (we all have them), and then misrepresenting or ignoring facts in order to bolster it.