His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh-Death and Funeral thread

TLLK · April 11, 2021, 03:02:08 PM

A lovely little story from a retired White House butler.

Former White House Butler Reflects On His Service : NPR

QuoteWhen reflecting on his fondest memory, Westray talks about a time in 1979 when Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited the White House. After dinner, Prince Philip went into the Red Room, next to the state dining room. Westray and his buddy were serving liquor. Westray says he was carrying the tray and glasses.

"The prince was in there by himself, which was odd, because everybody else had gone down to the other end of the building," Westray says. "I said, 'Your Majesty, would you care for a cordial?' He says, 'I'll take one if you let me serve it.' What do you do? I didn't do all that because I had the stuff in my hand. And he says, 'If you let me pour it, I'll have one with you.'

"... So he poured it, the one he wanted, and we took the same thing that he had. And we had our drink there together and had a little talk while we were there. He told us if we were ever over there in London to stop at Buckingham Palace and see him. Can you imagine the prince serving you? I enjoyed it. You know, we're not supposed to drink and carry on at that time. We're not guests. It was just the three of us in the room, so nobody knew what happened. And I drank my little cordial, we all drank, and had a little conversation. But that was one thing I'll never forget, having been served by royalty."

PrincessOfPeace · April 11, 2021, 03:08:51 PM

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, stopped to speak to a member of the congregation after the royals attended a church service this morning.

She shared touching details of Prince Philip's final moments with a parishioner.

She told the member of the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor today: *It was right for him. It was so gentle.

*It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went.

*Very, very peaceful and thats all you want for somebody isnt it?

Prince Philip's final moments were 'gentle, as if someone took him by the hand' - Mirror Online

TLLK · April 11, 2021, 03:15:09 PM

More stories from the public who had the opportunity to meet Prince Phillip over the years. My favorite was when he told an auditorium of Canadian students that the administration should give them a day off every year on the anniversary of his visit. Students roared in approval while admin looked at each other sheepishly. :lol: Another favorite was when he met a young woman in a specially modified wheelchair during a BP reception and they had a lengthy and enthusiastic chat about the wheelchair design and features.

The day I met the Duke: tales of tartan trews, wondrous wheelchairs ... and a keen eye for a hangover

PrincessOfPeace · April 11, 2021, 03:19:21 PM

Her Majesty The Queen celebrated mass privately in Windsor Castle today. Just to confirm, however, that it was not in the Private Chapel where #PrincePhilips coffin is resting.

- Rebecca English

PrincessOfPeace · April 11, 2021, 03:54:05 PM

*My father has been my teacher, my supporter and my critic, but mostly it is his example of a life well lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate.*

A message from The Princess Royal following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh

A statement from The Princess Royal following the death of The Duke of Edinburgh | The Royal Family

PrincessOfPeace · April 11, 2021, 05:29:57 PM

Prince William and Kate Middleton break silence after Prince Philip's death | HELLO!

TudorQueen · April 11, 2021, 06:50:30 PM

I see mention James being with his parents at church but I didn't notice him in the videos. Did I just miss him?

Its lovely seeing the Wessexes and Andrew out and speaking a bit about Philip. You can tell all the memories of Philip have meant a lot to the family,not just the queen.

I had a smile when Sophie mentioned Philip ending up in ditches and when Edward said 'yes in the early days of coach driving' and she laughingly said 'no more recent as well'.

sara8150 · April 11, 2021, 07:10:10 PM

Princess Cassandra · April 11, 2021, 09:20:52 PM

Quote from: sara8150 on April 11, 2021, 03:40:26 AM
SARAH VINE: Real men like Prince Philip are rare these days because the modern world despises them | Daily Mail Online

Thank you for finding and posting them for us, Sara! PS: That Sarah Vine piece is especially appreciated.

TudorQueen · April 11, 2021, 09:22:15 PM

Harry seems to have arrived. There is no sign of him at Windsor. I would think he is perhaps quarantining at Notts cottage for now.

Prince Harry arrives back in the UK for Prince Philip's funeral without Meghan Markle to join Royal Family in mourning

I don't get the anger over what Harry and Meghan posted. The Cambridges simply posted a picture with his dates on it.

@Princess Cassandra I actually find the article sad. That to be a real 'man' you have to work with your hands, use tools, play sports and be brunt. This if you are not 'macho' you are not a real man is thankfully something society moves away from.

Macrobug67 · April 11, 2021, 10:09:14 PM

I agree with you re H/M message. It was simple and brief but that?s fine - it was from their charity. They don?t need to pour out their soul to the public on whole to prove anything. No one does. The public duty is done now they can grieve in private.

Also agree with your point about what a real man is. A man gently and carefully caring for his child?s emotional needs is just as much a man as the one as Vine describes. I find that rather judgemental.

Curryong · April 11, 2021, 10:13:40 PM

I don?t want to speak ill of the dead. However ?real man? Philip regularly bullied and harangued his eldest son for years in a way I don?t expect Vine would appreciate her own husband doing (if she has a son.)

Also PM Harold Macmillan remembered the Queen on the verge of tears when he visited Balmoral during his tenure. It was in the middle of one of the the times in which the debate about whether some of their children could be given the Mountbatten Windsor surname and Philip had obviously been giving his wife a verbal lashing about it.

Macmillan wrote about it in his diary in very uncomplimentary terms with regard to Philip and his sorrow about the Queen being upset. That diary was published after Macmillan?s death.

Obviously the Queen could stand up for herself when she needed to but there were also times when Philip was less her ?rock and stay? and more a thorn in her side that wasn?t needed.

An excerpt from the Express

In the biography, Ms Bedell Smith cited an entry in Mr Macmillan?s diary, in which he wrote: ?The Queen only wishes to do something to please her husband ? with whom she is desperately in love.

?What upsets me is the Prince?s almost brutal attitude to the Queen over all this.

?I shall never forget what she said to me that Sunday night at Sandringham.?

Mr Macmillan passed the problem onto his deputy, Rab Butler, and the Lord Chancellor Lord Kilmuir.

Mr Butler told Mr Macmillan in a telegram that the Queen had ?absolutely set her heart? on making a change for the Duke's sake.

Ms Bedell Smith wrote: ?By one account, Butler confided to a friend that Elizabeth had been in tears.?

Macrobug67 · April 11, 2021, 10:18:48 PM

@sara8150 Thanks for all the articles! :flower3: You really are the busy bee RIF news gatherer! :thumbsup:

TLLK · April 11, 2021, 10:26:55 PM

Quote from: TudorQueen on April 11, 2021, 06:50:30 PM
I see mention James being with his parents at church but I didn't notice him in the videos. Did I just miss him?

Its lovely seeing the Wessexes and Andrew out and speaking a bit about Philip. You can tell all the memories of Philip have meant a lot to the family,not just the queen.

I had a smile when Sophie mentioned Philip ending up in ditches and when Edward said 'yes in the early days of coach driving' and she laughingly said 'no more recent as well'.

I read on another site that Andrew, Edward, Sophie and Louise were the royal representatives for a special service today for the Windsor Estate workers. There was only room for four members of the BRF so there would be more space for the estate workers who were chosen by lottery. Space being limited due to social distancing requirements. The Duke of Edinburgh was the Ranger for the Windsor Park so he was very close to so many of the workers.

Princess Cassandra · April 11, 2021, 11:41:15 PM

Quote from: Curryong on April 11, 2021, 10:13:40 PM
I don?t want to speak ill of the dead. However ?real man? Philip regularly bullied and harangued his eldest son for years in a way I don?t expect Vine would appreciate her own husband doing (if she has a son.)

Also PM Harold Macmillan remembered the Queen on the verge of tears when he visited Balmoral during his tenure. It was in the middle of one of the the times in which the debate about whether some of their children could be given the Mountbatten Windsor surname and Philip had obviously been giving his wife a verbal lashing about it.

Macmillan wrote about it in his diary in very uncomplimentary terms with regard to Philip and his sorrow about the Queen being upset. That diary was published after Macmillan?s death. That says so much.

Obviously the Queen could stand up for herself when she needed to but there were also times when Philip was less her ?rock and stay? and more a thorn in her side that wasn?t needed.

An excerpt from the Express

In the biography, Ms Bedell Smith cited an entry in Mr Macmillan?s diary, in which he wrote: ?The Queen only wishes to do something to please her husband ? with whom she is desperately in love.

?What upsets me is the Prince?s almost brutal attitude to the Queen over all this.

?I shall never forget what she said to me that Sunday night at Sandringham.?

Mr Macmillan passed the problem onto his deputy, Rab Butler, and the Lord Chancellor Lord Kilmuir.

Mr Butler told Mr Macmillan in a telegram that the Queen had ?absolutely set her heart? on making a change for the Duke's sake.

Ms Bedell Smith wrote: ?By one account, Butler confided to a friend that Elizabeth had been in tears.?

His impatience, bouts of anger, and lack of tolerance were well publicized, but he had many admirable qualities and also mellowed in his older years. I think he was probably a very difficult man in ways, but in other ways he was very special, which I think Ms. Vine expresses very well. What I think is most interesting is that in later years he and Charles were no longer at loggerheads. I have often thought that his unusual childhood, which is sometimes considered more interesting than unfortunate, had to have had some negative consequences regarding interpersonal relationships with his wife and children. Yet, they are a functional family and his children are genuinely mourning his loss.

Macrobug67 · April 11, 2021, 11:45:50 PM

I always felt it was two personalities that just didn?t mesh. PP - a man of action and PC - a sensitive artistic thinker. It took years but it seems that as adults they finally, in not fully understanding, at least accepted one another.

But to return to the article - arent both Men

Quote from: TLLK on April 11, 2021, 10:26:55 PM
I read on another site that Andrew, Edward, Sophie and Louise were the royal representatives for a special service today for the Windsor Estate workers. There was only room for four members of the BRF so there would be more space for the estate workers who were chosen by lottery. Space being limited due to social distancing requirements. The Duke of Edinburgh was the Ranger for the Windsor Park so he was very close to so many of the workers.

Just yesterday my SIL was telling me that when her dad worked at Windsor Park, PP would show up, unannounced, come on in for a cuppa and a chat. Just to see how things were going. And apparently he did that all over the estate.

Princess Cassandra · April 11, 2021, 11:58:01 PM

Quote from: TudorQueen on April 11, 2021, 09:22:15 PM
Harry seems to have arrived. There is no sign of him at Windsor. I would think he is perhaps quarantining at Notts cottage for now.

Prince Harry arrives back in the UK for Prince Philip's funeral without Meghan Markle to join Royal Family in mourning

I don't get the anger over what Harry and Meghan posted. The Cambridges simply posted a picture with his dates on it.

@Princess Cassandra I actually find the article sad. That to be a real 'man' you have to work with your hands, use tools, play sports and be brunt. This if you are not 'macho' you are not a real man is thankfully something society moves away from.

Regarding your comment about anger over what Harry and Meghan posted, I agree with you completely. In fact, I think the grandchildren have all stepped back and let the Queen and Prince Philip's children be the spokespeople. And I think that is the right thing to do, since theirs is the more significant loss.

Regarding the article, I understand your comment, but I don't think she meant that to be a real man one has to be macho, but rather that the pendulum has swung way too far in the opposite direction. At least that's the way I took her meaning.

sara8150 · April 12, 2021, 12:33:28 AM

Prince Harry returns to UK for Prince Philip's funeral without pregnant wife Meghan Markle | Daily Mail Online

RICHARD KAY reveals the most intriguing royal friendship of all between Prince Philip and Diana | Daily Mail Online

Nigel Farage slams Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for showing 'contempt' for Prince Philip | Daily Mail Online

RICHARD KAY and GEOFFREY LEVY: Can Prince Charles cut it as CEO of the Firm? | Daily Mail Online

GYLES BRANDRETH says Duke of Edinburgh sympathised with Harry and Meghan but thought they were wrong | Daily Mail Online

BAFTA 2021 Film Awards: Prince Philip remembered as first Academy president in tribute | Daily Mail Online

Prince Harry Arrives in the U.K. 2 Days After Prince Philip's Death | PEOPLE.com

BAFTA Awards Pay Tribute to Prince Philip | PEOPLE.com

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-56711489

Prince Harry 'seen at Heathrow' as he flies back to UK for Prince Philip's funeral | Royal | News | Express.co.uk

queen news: Queen shares rare insight into Prince Philip's 'lifelong passion' for wildlife | Royal | News | Express.co.uk

Prince Harry lands back in UK for Prince Philip's funeral a year after leaving for US - Mirror Online

BAFTAs 2021: Sad tribute to the late Prince Philip who was charity's first president - Mirror Online

Prince Philip's funeral is set to go green with an electric Land Rover and a wool coffin

Brits urged to raise a glass to Prince Philip as the nation's pubs - including Windsor's Duke of Edinburgh - reopen

Prince Harry arrives back in UK for Prince Philip's funeral without Meghan Markle - but where will he stay?

Kate and Wills' three children not expected to attend Prince Philip's funeral as royals offered live stream

BAFTAs 2021: Academy pays touching tribute to Prince Philip after he served as its very first President

sara8150 · April 12, 2021, 12:54:02 AM

Quote from: Macrobug67 on April 11, 2021, 10:18:48 PM
@sara8150 Thanks for all the articles! :flower3: You really are the busy bee RIF news gatherer! :thumbsup:

You?re welcome

Macrobug67 · April 12, 2021, 12:56:49 AM

Makes it nice and easy to read. Just sitting there posted, all ready for us. :happy:

Interesting article that PP coffin may be wool. It certainly would be environmentally friendlier than wood.

QuotePrince Charles invited Hains?worth?s to exhibit at his Garden Party to Make a Difference in 2010 to encourage sustainability.

In a speech, he joked: ?I have discovered a company that makes a woollen coffin ? coffins, ladies and gentlemen, to die for.?

Sales director Rachel Hainsworth said: ?He liked the fact the coffins are environmentally friendly, but also the fact that by using British wool we are supporting Britain?s farmers.?

Made from three fleeces, each coffin features a cotton lining and is 100 per cent biodegradable.

Woollen coffins were used as far back as the 17th century, but Hains?worth?s decided to reinvent the idea and have since placed a patent on it.

TLLK · April 12, 2021, 01:20:10 AM

Quote from: Macrobug67 on April 11, 2021, 11:45:50 PM
I always felt it was two personalities that just didn?t mesh. PP - a man of action and PC - a sensitive artistic thinker. It took years but it seems that as adults they finally, in not fully understanding, at least accepted one another.

But to return to the article - arent both Men
Just yesterday my SIL was telling me that when her dad worked at Windsor Park, PP would show up, unannounced, come on in for a cuppa and a chat. Just to see how things were going. And apparently he did that all over the estate.

I believe that he was extremely interested in improving the estate and wanted to be as closely involved as he could be. Glad that the workers had a service for him.

Curryong · April 12, 2021, 04:33:02 AM

The BBC were supposedly inundated with complaints that normal weekly programming was interrupted and their favourite programmes were not being shown.

BBC inundated with complaints over ?too much? Prince Philip coverage | indy100

Macrobug67 · April 12, 2021, 04:38:59 AM

It was rather repetitive, at least here on Canadian News. But someone desperately wanting their telly fix, it would be rather annoying to have the news instead of Carnation Street.

TLLK · April 12, 2021, 04:55:52 AM

Quote from: Curryong on April 12, 2021, 04:33:02 AM
The BBC were supposedly inundated with complaints that normal weekly programming was interrupted and their favourite programmes were not being shown.

BBC inundated with complaints over ?too much? Prince Philip coverage | indy100

I'm not surprised. I recall similar complaints for Ronald Reagan's funeral which seemed to have a longer ceremonial funeral. George H.W. Bush opted for a simpler one, so it had a shorter TV coverage.

PrincessOfPeace · April 12, 2021, 11:00:30 AM

Funeral of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh: information about the procession in Windsor Castle: Funeral of The Duke of Edinburgh | The Royal Family. It will step off at 14:45. Minute Guns will fire and the Curfew Bell will toll. Royal Navy Piping Party will pipe when procession arrives outside St George's Chapel.