A Nation Mourns

[Clariman]

BBC & Sky coverage has had me watching Al Jazeera and RT.

Well it had me flicking up the channels until I came across something vaguely watchable which turned out to be from the 50 Shades of Grey film series. 15 minutes of that was enough too

[Clitheroekid]

I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering if Prince Philip's death will be followed in the not too distant future by the death of the Queen. It oftens seems to be the case that when one of a very elderly couple dies their spouse soon follows, almost as it they'd been hanging on, waiting for them.

That thought in turn made me contemplate how I'd feel if I heard that the Queen had died. When I heard of Prince Philip's death I was slightly sad, but more for how the Queen would be feeling than for any real regret that he'd gone. I actually liked him, but I didn't feel anything remotely approaching grief.

But when the Queen dies I think I will be quite emotionally affected, not so much because of the loss of her as a person, but because it will really signal the loss of an era that's spanned the whole of my life to date. I'm not by any means a fanatical monarchist, but I do like and respect the Queen. She's someone who has just always been there, not important in my day to day life but I suppose representing a form of stability and continuity that I've always just taken for granted without giving it much thought.

It's also strange how she has become part of my personal history. We see her image every time we pay cash for something, and I'm old enough that when I collected stamps as a child there were still lots of British colonies, all of which, of course, issued stamps showing her face in profile. Thinking about it now, her face is really so familiar that she's almost like a rather distant family member.

She's also been part of the background of my life in so many other ways - seeing her on TV on visits abroad, or on state occasions, the Christmas messages (though I must admit I rarely watch them!) the messages from her following some national tragedy and so on.

So Prince Philip's death has brought home to me both the realisation that it can't now be that long till the Queen dies, and the realisation that when it does happen I'm likely to be more upset than I'd have expected.

[zico]

BBC flooded with complaints over Prince Philip coverage

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/apr/10/bbc-flooded-with-complaints-over-prince-philip-coverage

Corporation opened dedicated complaints form on its website to deal with high volume of comments

One issue facing the BBC is when to return coverage to normal and how to respond to complaints. In a sign that the corporation is doomed to be criticised by all sides, the rightwing Defund the BBC campaign described it as “disgraceful” that the corporation was making it easier to complain about its coverage, saying: “The anti-British BBC has set up a form to encourage complaints about the volume of coverage of Prince Philip’s death.”

Actually, the "dedicated complaints" form only allows you to register a complaint about the coverage. That's it. You could be complaining about not enough coverage, too much coverage, coverage being on all BBC channels, too much about his Nazi-marrying sisters, not enough about Nazi-marrying sisters, not enough from that real-life documentary "The Crown", no Owen Jones from Marxist Manors to give his view, no Baroness Claire Fox of Foxyville to give her view, or you could just be complaining that in these dark days the BBC's patriotic duty is to provide positive uplifting news, so should have reported he was still alive and enjoying the latest series of Line of Duty.

In fact, why don't the BBC just get properly efficient here, and simply set up a general link saying "I want to complain" where you just press a "complain" button every time the BBC annoys you, there's no opportunity to provide any text or detail about your complaint, and three weeks later you'd get a response as follows.

"Thank you for your complaint. We do take all complaints extremely seriously. After careful review of your complaint, we have decided that we were right, and you were wrong, so we shall continue to do whatever it was you complained about. We hope you find this response fully satisfactory. If you do not, please hit the complaint button again. Is there anything else we can do to help you today?"

[scrumpyjack]

Yes a nation needs a figurehead and we have been very lucky to have such an exceptionally good one as the Queen. Imagine if republicans had had their way and we had ended up with that figurehead being a failed politician - eg President Neil Kinnock!

[stewamax]

I met him once and have seen him in action on royal duty several times.
He may have offended occasionally by being blunt and politically incorrect but in my view he was:

- intelligent
- diligent
- energetic (even in his advanced years)
- a trier
- and by all reports good company

which I cannot say for two of his sons, one of whom especially is a thick idle sponger.

[XFool]

BBC & Sky coverage has had me watching Al Jazeera and RT. which has led to me knowing that on Monday it's the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's flight

They have a very different view of world news to the BBC and Sky

Programme now on BBC R4 about Gagarin and anniversary of his flight.

Archive on 4: Gagarin and the lost Moon

[AsleepInYorkshire]

I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering if Prince Philip's death will be followed in the not too distant future by the death of the Queen. It oftens seems to be the case that when one of a very elderly couple dies their spouse soon follows, almost as it they'd been hanging on, waiting for them.

That thought in turn made me contemplate how I'd feel if I heard that the Queen had died. When I heard of Prince Philip's death I was slightly sad, but more for how the Queen would be feeling than for any real regret that he'd gone. I actually liked him, but I didn't feel anything remotely approaching grief.

But when the Queen dies I think I will be quite emotionally affected, not so much because of the loss of her as a person, but because it will really signal the loss of an era that's spanned the whole of my life to date. I'm not by any means a fanatical monarchist, but I do like and respect the Queen. She's someone who has just always been there, not important in my day to day life but I suppose representing a form of stability and continuity that I've always just taken for granted without giving it much thought.

It's also strange how she has become part of my personal history. We see her image every time we pay cash for something, and I'm old enough that when I collected stamps as a child there were still lots of British colonies, all of which, of course, issued stamps showing her face in profile. Thinking about it now, her face is really so familiar that she's almost like a rather distant family member.

She's also been part of the background of my life in so many other ways - seeing her on TV on visits abroad, or on state occasions, the Christmas messages (though I must admit I rarely watch them!) the messages from her following some national tragedy and so on.

So Prince Philip's death has brought home to me both the realisation that it can't now be that long till the Queen dies, and the realisation that when it does happen I'm likely to be more upset than I'd have expected.

Some insightful thoughts. I feel that there's an irony surrounding the Royal Family. We can judge them. But when one of them passes judgement, he's vilified.

I cant imagine how Lilibet will be feeling now. Her Prince for over 7 decades has passed. And that's a reminder to me that life is short. Too short.

At this time my thoughts are with his family and I hope they are able to find peace and pleasant memories.

AiY

[simsqu]

I cant imagine how Lilibet will be feeling now. Her Prince for over 7 decades has passed. AiY

Bleeuugggch

I fear the title of this thread, which was meant to be a faux sarcastic comment on the demise of the MasterChef final and nothing more, has been hijacked into a Prince Philip Book of Remembrance.

Could I respectfully request posters who wish to add to a book of remembrance for our late Prince, kindly go and do it elsewhere

[bungeejumper]

Some insightful thoughts. I feel that there's an irony surrounding the Royal Family. We can judge them. But when one of them passes judgement, he's vilified.

Half fair, but only half I think. Having been constitutionally ring-fenced and cordoned off in the 1700s, the royal family is paid to keep us entertained and inspired, like any pop star, except that the pop stars have to go out and earn their income directly while the royals get their public stipend regardless of how they behave.

That being the case, the Windsors are of course as free as any other public figure to spout whatever nonsense they want, but it's no use hiding behind ancestral privilege when the responses start to come in. Count the splits and the divorces and the affairs and the vendettas and the occasional bit of (alleged!) criminality, and you'd have a script for East Enders. Which, of course, was the premise for the Royle Family all those years ago.

Now, about that £390 million revamp of the council house....

BJ

[MrFoolish]

Yes a nation needs a figurehead and we have been very lucky to have such an exceptionally good one as the Queen. Imagine if republicans had had their way and we had ended up with that figurehead being a failed politician - eg President Neil Kinnock!

Why does a nation need a figurehead? I would think we can manage quite nicely without select elites travelling around, shaking hands with people at great expense.

[88V8]

It's nine years since we owned a TV, but on the wireless it was a pleasure to hear the Beeb having to dwell on the Royals without snide asides.

And a day free of left wing social-engineering guff.

Although a whole day was perhaps OTT.

V8

[servodude]

And a day free of left wing social-engineering guff.

Wall to wall coverage of the death of a refugee?
When did that last happen?

-sd

[88V8]

And a day free of left wing social-engineering guff.

Wall to wall coverage of the death of a refugee?
When did that last happen?

Oh yes, he was Greek. Weren't they something to do with yoghurt? That explains it.

V8

[Gersemi]

So now the BBC have decided that both BBC1 and BBC2 schedules will be devoted to Phil for the entire night.
I have always supported the BBC. However postponing the weekly final of "House of Games" is unforgivable.

Talk about going over the top.

Just in case anyone is still missing this, it's being aired tonight on BBC2 at 17:30.

[tjh290633]

So now the BBC have decided that both BBC1 and BBC2 schedules will be devoted to Phil for the entire night.
I have always supported the BBC. However postponing the weekly final of "House of Games" is unforgivable.

Talk about going over the top.

Just in case anyone is still missing this, it's being aired tonight on BBC2 at 17:30.

That's unless they change the schedules yet again. BBC1 was changed at short notice yesterday evening. Pointless Celebrities vanished, to be replaced by Celebrity Mastermind, to be replaced by extended News.

You have to keep an eye on it from minute to minute.

They really have no idea of how to organise their channels. What is the point of BBC News?

TJH

[Dod101]

So now the BBC have decided that both BBC1 and BBC2 schedules will be devoted to Phil for the entire night.
I have always supported the BBC. However postponing the weekly final of "House of Games" is unforgivable.

Talk about going over the top.

Just in case anyone is still missing this, it's being aired tonight on BBC2 at 17:30.

That's unless they change the schedules yet again. BBC1 was changed at short notice yesterday evening. Pointless Celebrities vanished, to be replaced by Celebrity Mastermind, to be replaced by extended News.

You have to keep an eye on it from minute to minute.

They really have no idea of how to organise their channels. What is the point of BBC News?

TJH

What is the point of Pointless Celebrities?

Dod

[BellaHubby]

I fear the title of this thread, which was meant to be a faux sarcastic comment on the demise of the MasterChef final and nothing more, has been hijacked into a Prince Philip Book of Remembrance.

How were we to know? You are normally sooooo serious

bh

[AsleepInYorkshire]

I have not watched the TV at all today and am not planning to. I feel very sorry for the Queen and the rest of the family who will miss him, but 8 days of national mourning and a recall of parliament seems over the top to me - let alone 24 hour coverage on all channels.

That said, I know the Royal family mean a lot to a lot of people, so I'm not going to write letters of complaint.

Clariman

During the next 8 days the Queen will not have to work. Can I rephrase that. A 95 year old lady has lost her husband of seven decades. A man she has known and been in love with since she was 13. For 8 days she will not be asked to carry out any Royal duties or sign off any documents etc. I wonder what "we" will ask her to do on day 9.

I am not going to suggest that I am a Royalist and that the Royal Family offer value for money or any other tertiary argument. This isn't the place for that.

I'd also like to offer my sincere and profuse apologies to simsqu for moving off the focus of the thread, albeit I did genuinely believe it was a side swipe at the man who has passed away and his family.

AiY

[Clariman]

I have not watched the TV at all today and am not planning to. I feel very sorry for the Queen and the rest of the family who will miss him, but 8 days of national mourning and a recall of parliament seems over the top to me - let alone 24 hour coverage on all channels.

That said, I know the Royal family mean a lot to a lot of people, so I'm not going to write letters of complaint.

Clariman

During the next 8 days the Queen will not have to work. Can I rephrase that. A 95 year old lady has lost her husband of seven decades. A man she has known and been in love with since she was 13. For 8 days she will not be asked to carry out any Royal duties or sign off any documents etc. I wonder what "we" will ask her to do on day 9.

I am not going to suggest that I am a Royalist and that the Royal Family offer value for money or any other tertiary argument. This isn't the place for that.

I'd also like to offer my sincere and profuse apologies to simsqu for moving off the focus of the thread, albeit I did genuinely believe it was a side swipe at the man who has passed away and his family.

AiY

AiY,
I referred to "8 days of national mourning". The Queen is entitled to as many days as she likes of personal mourning - and she has my sympathies.

[mark88man]

Yes a nation needs a figurehead and we have been very lucky to have such an exceptionally good one as the Queen. Imagine if republicans had had their way and we had ended up with that figurehead being a failed politician - eg President Neil Kinnock!

For a bit of left wing balance how about failed politicians
"President David Cameron"
"President Nigel Farage"
"President Theresa May"
"President William Hague"

All every bit as unsuccessful, and in many ways much more damaging than Kinnock ever was.

On Topic - I too thought the coverage both over and under whelming at the same time. An old man dies, rest in peace, so it goes. Long live the queen.