What did Prince Phillip mean to you?

Trisher I'm not sure the death of anyone is a time for "enjoyment" is it

I wasn’t referring to the death of Prince Phillip, just the usual bitter, hate filled bunch that descend on the RF threads to spread their vitriol.

A 97 year old driving a car and crashes, putting a baby in danger -
He does it and it is ok
A different 97 yo person with no power or connections - what would have happened? It wouldnt have been overlooked like that

Some of the things he said made me laugh, this one in particular,

If it doesn’t fart and eat hay, she’s not interested.
Said of his daughter, Princess Anne.

I know he said lots of things some people disapprove of, but equally he said a lot of things that made me smile.

Said to the Queen on Coronation Day,
Where did you get that hat?

Distant man in a distant land and I really never gave him a thought until he died. I think he was ok, spoke his mind, though somewhat blunt. Product of his age and background.

I don't think it is exactly that having enough money lessens grief, but sometimes there are things that one might like to do for the person one has lost, perhaps a different sort of funeral or memorial, or more hospitality for friends and family to gather and remember and talk about the person, not in the church or the crematorium, but in a more relaxed setting, where people good remember the good times and the funny incidents. Different people will have different ways they would like to sort of honour the person they have lost and not being able to afford to do those things can make one feel as though one has let down the person one has lost.
Maybe I have not explained this very well, but one can feel as if if only I could have done this or that for them would have been some sort of comfort.

Well said, annsixty. I cringe whenever Prince Philip is praised for being the Queen’s consort. It makes him sound like a member of staff.

On reading about his life, things I hadn’t heard or even thought about, I think he gave up much more than anyone should be asked or expected to give up when he married the Queen.
He had a very long time to live that life ,whether with regret I shall never know.

Rowantree : your post for Tuesday 9.13

The last line of your post saying "that is if he was the father"
it seems you are insinuating that the Queen had an affair,
as you said he bred a criminal so I suppose you are referring to Prince Andrew.
These threads about Prince Philip are bringing up vile and stupid comments from some posters a bit sad when many are trying to at least be positive, I think I will sign out it is enough to turn my stomach how hateful people can be.

tickingbird

Some of the nonsense on here is laughable. “He was a racist and I loathe racists”. What rubbish. He was no racist. Just the usual bile and bitterness from the usual crowd who are ALWAYS on here, especially if there’s any Royalists having a discussion.

It really is funny. It’s almost as if a rallying call goes out whenever there’s any thread involving the RF. Without a doubt, if the pro Royals were putting up threads in praise of Meghan and Harry, they’d be on like a shot to carp and criticise them. It’s just nasty, spiteful, bitter behaviour from certain types who just want to spoil the enjoyment of other posters.

I'm not sure the death of anyone is a time for "enjoyment" is it?

What did he mean to me?

Nothing really. He was just the Queen’s consort and I saw him briefly on TV or as a mention in the papers. I didn’t know the man and wouldn’t presume to be heartbroken, or even upset, at his death. He was 99, and died peacefully.

I know a lot more about him after the last few days, and he certainly had an eventful life. I felt for him when I read how as a 16 year old, already shunted off to boarding school because nobody wanted him, he was told that his sister, brother in law, small nephews and the baby his sister had given birth to in flight had died in a plane crash.

Those who worked with him and for him and those who actually knew him seem to speak very highly of him. On balance he did a lot more good than harm.

There’s been far too much gushing on one side, and blind hate on the other, nearly all from people who didn’t know him. Which was predictable.

I know I’d much rather have my life than his, or his wife’s for that matter.

the duke of edinburgh awards, we had lots of students apply to our charity shop to do their award , it was great seeing all these youngsters from all walks of life come to learn to be a volunteer and see how a charity shop runs..i liked prince phillip for his sense of humour . he was an old fashioned gentleman .but thats what made him who he was ..

I have a nice DoE story too Granny23.

DF used to run DoE for a local young people's group. One day he was up a mountain somewhere in the Cairngorms with his binoculars, waiting for a group to come over the ridge after their expedition. Car drew up behind him and somebody said "are you looking for someone?"

It was the DoE in a land rover with the Queen in the passenger seat. DoE and DF had a nice chat about the Awards scheme. Just a nice co-incidence!

suziewoozie
“No one is saying it is less but especially as time goes by privilege and wealth cushion the blow and stop it bring worse. Which isn’t the same as making it less.”
Suzie we’ll have to agree to disagree on this.

ginny

Sad for the family as I would be for any other family.
I didn’t know him personally so he didn’t really have any effect on my life then or in his passing.

Totally in agreement with this.

Everything in life is relative,
Some folks given the opportunity to do something beneficial to others will choose to do so , others take the attitude of ‘ I’m alright Jack so F- - - You.
To acknowledge the positivities in others despite their personal circumstances is the surely just the honest thing to do.

Some of the nonsense on here is laughable. “He was a racist and I loathe racists”. What rubbish. He was no racist. Just the usual bile and bitterness from the usual crowd who are ALWAYS on here, especially if there’s any Royalists having a discussion.

It really is funny. It’s almost as if a rallying call goes out whenever there’s any thread involving the RF. Without a doubt, if the pro Royals were putting up threads in praise of Meghan and Harry, they’d be on like a shot to carp and criticise them. It’s just nasty, spiteful, bitter behaviour from certain types who just want to spoil the enjoyment of other posters.

I think I have told this story before on GN but it is my favourite D of E memory. Probably only older Scottish Grans will 'get it'. here goes.

Mum Dad sister & I had been at the pictures, in Stirling. When we returned to the car (in the station Car Park) we could not get to it as the area was packed with people, police, etc. Dad, as was his wont, adopted his "act daft go half fair" persona and led us through the exit only gate onto the platform. Apparently, The Queen & Prince Philip had been attending an evening function at Stirling Castle and were about to depart on the Royal train.

The couple were standing at an open window on the train, waving to the crowd as the train pulled very slowly away. The Queen, dwarfed by the tall Duke, turned to look up at him over her shoulder, whereupon my Dad shouted "It's Chic Murray and Maisie". The crowd caught on immediately and roared and laughed. The Queen & Duke looking slightly bamboozled, laughed back to the crowd as the train moved slowly away.

BlueSky

I don’t believe the Queen’s grief is any less than any widow’s on the basic pension. Yes she’ll definitely be more comfortable but the pain of losing a beloved partner is the same.

No one is saying it is less but especially as time goes by privilege and wealth cushion the blow and stop it bring worse. Which isn’t the same as making it less.

I don’t believe the Queen’s grief is any less than any widow’s on the basic pension. Yes she’ll definitely be more comfortable but the pain of losing a beloved partner is the same.

Alegrias1- Great minds...

Anniebach

suziewoozie you too judging grief by accident of birth,
you think Phillip having wealthy relatives ‘who took him in’ eased the pain of a 8 year old whose mother was seriously mentally ill and father abandoned him.

Why are some so blinded by money .

See trishers post. And at least he want Jewish. And all the little 8 year olds in refugee camps atm.

cross post Trisher, I think we're saying the same thing.

Anniebach

suziewoozie you too judging grief by accident of birth,
you think Phillip having wealthy relatives ‘who took him in’ eased the pain of a 8 year old whose mother was seriously mentally ill and father abandoned him.

Why are some so blinded by money .

Its got nothing to do with money Annie. Its to do with privilege. I understand that Phillips family were very hard up indeed when they were exiled from Greece. But he didn't end up in an orphanage for unwanted children, then in a dead-end job with no prospects, which is what could well have happened if he hadn't been a Prince of Greece. He ended up at a select school in the highlands and being introduced to an eligible Princess at the age of 19.

The life he ended up having would have been very different if he hadn't been the g-g-grandson of Queen Victoria. Money or not, he was privileged.

That doesn't make him any less sad when he was eight, but it certainly made a difference after.

Nothing

I have empathy for his family and appreciate the good things he did like the DofE scheme but on a personal level he meant nothing to me, how could he?

We could I suppose speculate on what would have happened to that 8 year old boy without his connections He might have been one of those sent to Australia and abused. He might have been in an orphanage in this country and beaten. He might have been sent out aged 14 to make his own way in the world. If we are going to mourn let's mourn all those children who didn't get his chances. He had a long and privileged life. Many of them didn't.