Prince George at The Queen's funeral?

well it's been announced; the eldest two are going.

Apparently George and Charlotte are both going.

I would imagine the most poignant and affecting moment for the children would be the close proximity to the slow lowering of the coffin in St.George’s Chapel into the vault, as happened for Prince Philip.
That could make more impression than the formal state ceremony.

To those comparing Diana’s funeral with tomorrow’s events, there is a world of difference between walking at length behind your very close beloved mother’s coffin on a gun carriage after the shock of her sudden death and what I would envisage for Prince George.
If he does attend, it will be for a long lived great grandmother in the company of both parents, both conscious of his sensitivity.

The North Korean approach to this week will turn many more into republicans

I thought you just criticised the North Korean approach on another thread?
Or is this a criticism of republicanism?

Lathyrus

You couldn’t care less about a nine year old. You’re just using him.

Be honest with yourself even if you have to keep up the facade on here.

Avoiding personal comment? You mean like the one blossoming made about me? Or didn’t that count.

Or the very personal comments about George’s family. They don’t count either? Because they’re Royals and Republicans can say whatever they like about them.

People who are so anxious about protecting a child don’t hesitate to abuse the people he loves on a public forum.

Like I say hypocrisy or self delusion?

I absolutely do agree Lathyrus
Prince George is indeed being used, by republican posters not by the RF. The boy is part of the family and in line to the throne after his Father, and nine is not too young to attend a funeral in any case.It is not his Mother or Grandma who has died, but a very old person, his Great Grandma.
Children are very accepting of death, when the relative is old.
It is up to his parents which part of the funeral to take him to.

Let's get this clear I have no objection to children attending funerals. My eldest went to his GF's aged 10. What I object to is subjecting a child to the stresses of a public state funeral where they will not be able to behave as children do, but will have to maintain a certain composure and bearing. That this will be filmed and photographed so that in future years the child will see it again and again, and it will be scrutinised and criticised by the public and media people. And that this is all done to maintain the image of a family whose popularity is steadily waning. How anyone could subject a child to that I don't know, and no child of 9 can possibly understand all of the ramifications, so asking them is ridiculous. The child's future prospects do not mean he isn't entitled to protection and proper care and consideration. I may be a republican, but I am also concerned with the proper treatment of children whatever their family circumstances.
I find the idea that it's OK to involve children in these things because their family is royal absolutely unacceptable. And I could be very rude about those posters who think it is OK but actually I have better manners.

Westminster Abbey is going to be packed with adults invited for what they are rather than who they are, and I am sure it will be a splendid state occasion, and interminably boring for young children.

The best place for the Queen's great-grandchildren is the family service at St. George's Windsor, and their parents can decide which ones should attend.

He's hardl likely to be on Gransnet ...that would be a worry for a nine year old.
Republicans come in all guises ,guess what most of us are nice ,family loving folk .We just dont believe that a hereditary Monarchy is superior to us in any way shape or form and thatpublic money could be better spent .
The North Korean approach to this week will turn many more into republicans .We're told to mourn for a set time have the queen wall to wall on tv and radio , even had a minutes silence imposed on us tonight .
Whether we are republicns or not many are finding all this way OTT. I went shopping this afternoon..there was even a bloody announcement over the tannoy abou their condolences on OUR behalf to the RF .

I have friends who are closing their businesses tomorrow simply because they'll get abuse from the OO which is active in their area if they open !
We wouldn't put our kids in the public spotlight not even on FB never mind at a family funeral seen by the entire world .
Next week they'll be talking about the lack of privacy ....or keeping a distance fron the young people in the RF...and rightly so .BUT ...this is exactly wht Diana did ..she manipulated the press to suit herself and then cried abuse by them .
Maybe they need new PR officers !!

38 years ago when my mother in law died we were asked by extended family not to take our children aged 9 and 7 to her formal, very traditional church funeral. They stayed with kind local friends, I collected them after the service and they joined us at the gathering held in my brother in laws home. Our elder son will remind us now how much he hated not being at the funeral, he had wanted to say goodbye to his much loved Nanna. I wish I’d listened to him and not the family. I hope William and Catherine listen to their son and daughter not the voices of others.

Casdon

I think this is entirely up to the children themselves and their parents. It’s not just George and Charlotte, there are other children who could potentially attend the funeral, there is Edward and Sophie’s son who is 14, Peter Phillips’ daughters, and Mia Tindall who is 8. If attendance is based on age, they would all be there as well as George and Charlotte. Surely it’s their choice?
My son was 9 when my husband/his dad died, By that age children are quite able to decide for themselves what they are comfortable doing. He wanted to go, and I wanted him to do what he wanted to do.

A sensible post!

Pass the smelling salts

I think we should all mind our own business. Let William and Kate do what they think is right for their children.
I always did what I thought was right for my children and If people disagreed they could mind their own business as it has nothing to do with them and their opinion was not asked for.
All families are different, what suits one does not suit the other.

I think this is entirely up to the children themselves and their parents. It’s not just George and Charlotte, there are other children who could potentially attend the funeral, there is Edward and Sophie’s son who is 14, Peter Phillips’ daughters, and Mia Tindall who is 8. If attendance is based on age, they would all be there as well as George and Charlotte. Surely it’s their choice?
My son was 9 when my husband/his dad died, By that age children are quite able to decide for themselves what they are comfortable doing. He wanted to go, and I wanted him to do what he wanted to do.

i think it's Paul Bquirrel

You know what I think do you?

Monarchists are psychic too, are they?

Ridiculous post.

To be fair lathyrus the most unpleasant comments I have seen about the royal family are from their supporters. I often find it breathtaking.

You couldn’t care less about a nine year old. You’re just using him.

Be honest with yourself even if you have to keep up the facade on here.

Avoiding personal comment? You mean like the one blossoming made about me? Or didn’t that count.

Or the very personal comments about George’s family. They don’t count either? Because they’re Royals and Republicans can say whatever they like about them.

People who are so anxious about protecting a child don’t hesitate to abuse the people he loves on a public forum.

Like I say hypocrisy or self delusion?

Lathyrus

If he’s there tomorrow all the Republicans will say how dreadful for the Royals tto use a child.

If he’s not there they’ll say how dreadful the Royals prevented him from attending the funeral.

And all the while the Republicans are using him in the same way, for their own ends.

Hypocrisy flourishes. Or maybe self-delusion.

Either way, a Republic made of people like that.

No thanks.

For heavens sake. Stop it.

Expressing concern for a nine year old being used for PR purposes hardly compares with parading him before the world to "prepare" him for his future. Which might not happen if his parents have any sense.

Most (all?) the republicans on here have avoided personal comments about folk who idolize a family with more money than Croesus and a particularly obvious method of PR, who have convinced them that they are the only ones worthy of leading this country. Till now obviously.

Somebody yesterday said they didn't support a republic because Republicans aren't nice people. Well monarchists are easily led and deluded. Nasty enough?

I know it is not the same thing, but Prince Charles attended part of his mother’s coronation, alongside the Queen Mother. I assume his nanny brought him in for the key moments, so that he was there but did not have to be there too long. He was far too young at that point to understand that one day he would be king.
Personally I would take Prince George to the short service at Windsor rather than the State Funeral, but it is up to his parents to decide what is best for their son. I am sure both he and his sister will be at their grandfather’s coronation, and maybe Louis, for part of it.

If he’s there tomorrow all the Republicans will say how dreadful for the Royals tto use a child.

If he’s not there they’ll say how dreadful the Royals prevented him from attending the funeral.

And all the while the Republicans are using him in the same way, for their own ends.

Hypocrisy flourishes. Or maybe self-delusion.

Either way, a Republic made of people like that.

No thanks.

Glorianny None of us knows what will happen next year, let alone even further into the future. With a smaller royal family it may well be that the younger royals will have normal working careers. There when needed, but otherwise with a clear seperate lives.

Princess Anne was never in line for the throne once her two younger brothers were born, so her family were of much less interest to the press when they were young. The press only began to become obsessed with themwhen they started out on their distinctly non-royal adult lives. The situation of the Prince and Princess of Wales with three children who are in immediate direct line to the throne is very different.

a miserable cute kid ? to promote the future king

volver

As I understand it there are three bits to the whole event tomorrow?

The State Funeral in Westminster Abbey.
Something in Windsor (?)
The private family interment in St George's Chapel.

The State Funeral is pomp and show, which is what you get for monarchs. Surely the right place for a nine year old to understand what's happened to his gangan is the private family interment?

I agree.

It's ok, here's the smelling salts ?

Now I don't want to mention the r-word, but..

What kind of system of government requires the risk of traumatising a nine year old child, in the name of duty?

Hmm. Is there any difference between using children to promote the Royal Family and using them to promote Republican views?