Prince Harry speaks out.

Thanks Elegran

Like the Royal Family or not, they do bring people's notice to worthwhile causes.

Leading on from that, in the days when Prince Philip was a child and young man (and for many years) a light was not shone on to this area and his mother's situation would have been a cause of shame and something definitely not to be discussed, especially in public.

Now Prince Phillip has been brought into the equation I would think that given his mothers mental health issues he and his family including William and Harry are perfectly aware of mental health issues.

Anybody who is incapable of accepting having experience of mental health issues is nothing to do with wealth , status , birth right is showing a total lack of understanding and I do wonder at their 'true' reason for making it about wealth, status, birth right to be honest.

Phillip must be proud of his mother, awarded the highest honour to non Jews by Israel - righteous among the Nations, this for saving the lives of Jews by hiding them in her home.

She also sold her jewels to build an orphanage

Phillip was only nine when he was made homeless yet here some choose to mock him . Nine with no parents and no home.

No mention that the queens family had mental health problems , the duke of Windsor was the most balanced of the four brothers , the government were in a panic when talk of his abdication started, it left the other three and they were mentally disturbed

Mental illness knows nothing of wealth , status, birthright. I think wealth makes it easier to find help , in fact it does.

And grief can cause mental illnesses , it can also cause people to go off the rails, this does not mean they are mentally ill, it can mean great anger

..... the duke of Windsor was the most balanced of the four brothers , the government were in a panic when talk of his abdication started, it left the other three and they were mentally disturbed

Annie you seem to be a bit of an expert on the Royal Family so can you elaborate on the above statement?

I know George VI was a bit delicate and had a stammer but I've never seen him described as 'mentally disturbed'.

Not an expert Riverwalk, never claimed to be.

George was shy, had a stammer yes, but was also given to violent rages,

Henry , read what has been written by legitimate historians plus a problem with whisky

George, philander, bi sexual, drugs and alcohol, it has always been rumoured his death in a plane crash in Scotland was arranged ! I have no idea if this is true but given his lifestyle he must have caused panic among the powers that be who were still recovering from the abdication so perhaps

I heard a news item today about children's charities asking the political parties to spell out how they will finance and support mental health services for children. Won't it be good if they do and isn't it more likely the parties will be pushed on this issue because of its profile being raised by the support from William, Harry and Kate.

That's confusing isn't it, using the same name; George VI (Bertie) was the one who was shy with a stammer but I thought the Queen Mother could handle him very well.

George, Duke of Kent, who died in a plane crash, was his younger brother. As he wasn't likely to become King I'm not sure why his death 6 years after the abdication would be anything other than an accident.

Whilst I understand that Philip's family were ousted from Greece when he was a baby & that his mother was very iĺl he was fortunate to have extended family and family wealth to support him. Wealth does not protect him from mental illness but it can buy treatment. . However,as a 'refugee' and a child with a 'troubled'early life he demonstrates little empathy, publicly, to people in similar situations. He in fact comes over as a no nonsense/stiff upper lip/cold. This may be his reaction to his experience but others, with similar experiences, react with increaed empathy/care and "social consience'

You are judging him on public appearances only, queenie is no different , he had an extended family but no parents when only nine . Why should people be expected to pour out their feelings to the public ? If they do their choice, if they do not their choice

Wealth does not protect him from mental illness but it can buy treatment.
I agree Penstemmon, however, I doubt that Philip ever sought treatment or thought he needed any. We don't know how much or how little his extended family supported him either.
In fact his attitude is probably no different to many of his age group who went through so much. It was not considered the done thing to weep, wail or give in to emotions and was probably seen as a sign of weakness.

The man was born in 1922, without parents by 1931, was Harrys age in 1954 , he had been prince consort for three years , the royals didn't do huggy, kissy, listen to my woes, the public didn't expect it untill Diana chose to inflict it on the world.

Stoicism is a word not much heard these days.

It was widely reported Phillip took his two grandsons away from Balmoral the week Diana died and the country was in uproar, he took them into the countryside to get away from all the circus that was going on, the same grandsons have said how reliable he is for advice and help when they need it

annie I was not suggesting that Philip should have made public any personal issues but am suggesting he could(&maybe he did privately) have been a public role model re mental health.

Why should he be a public role model re mental health ?

It was widely reported Phillip took his two grandsons away from Balmoral the week Diana died

Really?

As far as I remember it was widely reported they pulled up the drawbridge at Balmoral where they could keep the boys away from media attention. They only emerged to look at the floral tributes in the gateway prior to their return to London.

How on earth could Philip have spirited the boys away to the countryside (where did they stay?) without anyone noticing?

Merlotgran, if you live in a rural area going into the countryside means walking fields, climbing mountains and hills, it doesn't mean booking a holiday out of the town/city .

So Phillip took the boys into the hills,OK?

So he didn't take them away from Balmoral at all, Anniebach. He took them walking etc., etc., on the ESTATE where they would be safe from prying eyes.

And please don't lecture me about living in a rural area. I live in the middle of 1000 acres. Remote enough for you?

Sometimes your vast knowledge of the lives of the Royal family borders on fantasy.

Then to ask where they sent to stay was a pointless question Merlotgran,

Away from balmoral means away from the building , I did not say away from the Balmoral estate

That's OK Annie In future I'll try harder to interpret your posts.

Thank you merlotgran

In answer to 'why should he be a role model etc' I would say why not?
Public & royal figures can & do influence public opinion. I understand the era of repressed feeling/emotions was Philip's era and agree that we may have tipped the opposite way with public grief. However Philip is the patron of several charities and of course the excellent DoE Award scheme: but that is all about duty and stoicism too. None appear to be linked to orphans/ mental health etc. He feels that he is of the type to say'It did me no harm, get on with it'

I would say he behaved as any half decent grandfather would do if his grandsons' lost a parent: occupy them and keep them busy and show you care. That is nothing special..it should be normal!

So you are judging the man on your feelings nothing more.

Oh behave, is Gransnet not Toddlers net !!