Loving D of E

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Death Of D of E - How Did It Affect You?

Poll ended at 24 Apr 2021, 10:03pm

1) Sad / Other
5
15%
2) Not Bothered
16
47%
3) Did Not Watch Live Funeral
12
35%
4) Did Watch Live Funeral
1
3%
 
Total votes: 34

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NATURAL ANKLING
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Loving D of E

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Not seen any other pots of D of E so I thought I would post.
The media tell us that many people are sad and full of grief.
I wonder what proportion of the UK actually are affected at all.
My opinion, is it is does not mean much to me.
What's yours.
Consider also that both news channels have been talking all week about those he helped those who he met etc.
Today was a blanket coverage. IIRC 2.5 million were going to watch but thats reduced to 2.36 mil because its just over the top coverage.
I was in the garden on my bike.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/ ... complaints
"The BBC received a record 110,000 complaints over the last week after its decision to abandon almost all scheduled programming when the news broke last Friday, with shows such as MasterChef and EastEnders dropped in favour of rolling news coverage and pre-recorded tributes to the Queen’s husband. BBC Two and BBC Four removed all of their planned programming, prompting many viewers to switch off television altogether or turn to streaming services."

https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-ra ... -BBC-video

"A fourth tweeted: “We actually don’t need to see the funeral now that BBC Breakfast has spent at least 15 minutes telling us exactly what will happen in excruciating detail.”

“Anyone realise there’s a funeral happening today? I couldn’t tell,” a fifth said.

Another commented: “Two minutes into @BBCBreakfast and I’ve already had enough about the funeral coverage.”

“Come on guys, give us a rest from the funeral details and cover the important news!!! I’m not anti-royal but enough is enough,” a sixth viewer penned."

**************************

"Other viewers praised the programme for airing such a lovely tribute to the Duke, with one tweeting: “Great to see Naga and Charlie this morning to present this important day.

“Perfect opening from Windsor to set the scene. This is what @BBCBreakfast do best. Proud.”

Another commented: “What a beautiful tribute to Prince Philip. I am saddened that today we will say our last farewell.”

“Thank you for the perfect pitch and excellent coverage of the funeral of Prince Philip’s funeral,” one praised."
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Saddened, but not in a personal loss kind of a way.

Haven’t seen any of the coverage - but I was trying to think how many people would fetch the same honour. The Queen would, obviously, and I suspect that William would - but although the BBC would certainly do the proper thing and honour Charles I’m not sure the public attitude would be as sympathetic.

To some extent “an old man died, having lived a long and fruitful* life” (fruitful can be defined however you like.
But also our monarch has lost her husband of nearly 75 years, and family members have lost a father, or a grandfather, ...

Since we are still (barely) a monarchy, it is worthy of new coverage - and yes even of delaying Master Enders, East Off, or Bake Chef.
I’m trying to remember the last few royal funerals - and I’m having to go back quite a number of years.

Of course the tendency of the “news” being to repeat, ad nauseam, things they think might happen rather than reporting on what has happened really doesn’t help - from the description above they haven’t managed to cure themselves of that particular ill in the years since I watched any.
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Pebble
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by Pebble »

He was 99 so pretty much ready to go, so nothing really to be sad about, he has had a great life mainly through who he was born to, but never the less he has conducted himself with great dignity so I will think of him as probably a 'good person, DofE scheme being his highlight. Have to feel sorry for his wife, must be awful to loose someone who has been so close for so long. So i'm no more sad than I would be for any elderly person who loses their other half, I dread the day it comes to my door, but it will.
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al_yrpal
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by al_yrpal »

I can sympathise with the Queen having been recently bereaved after a long partnership. At least his end was quick unlike my agony of watching someone confused and in pain suffer for years.
The Duke did a great service with the D of E awards and his sense of humour and interest in and appreciation of Engineering chimed with me.
I thought the whole funeral spectacle was awful. For me, exclusion of religion, and personal eulogies from family and friends together with meaningful favourite music makes an appropriate send off. But...what he had was what he apparently wanted.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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RickH
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by RickH »

I thought the Land Rover was a nice touch & in keeping with his reported quip that when he died they should just "stick him in the Land Rover & drive him to Windsor". :D
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
Pebble
Posts: 1934
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by Pebble »

Disappointing he didn't go for a fully restored 'proper land rover' such as a Series 2 / 2a or even a 3. Never rated the 90/100 with its luxury interior and soft springs.
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661-Pete
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by 661-Pete »

al_yrpal wrote: 18 Apr 2021, 7:33am For me, exclusion of religion, and personal eulogies from family and friends together with meaningful favourite music makes an appropriate send off. But...what he had was what he apparently wanted.
Exactly the same as what I would go for - and what we did for my mother. She'd left explicit instructions in her Will: cremation after Humanist ceremony - but we'd known that already. No prayers, no hymns; the crematorium even agreed to remove the cross from the chapel. Eulogies from various friends, a brief biography from my sister (I chickened out :oops: ), and music by Schubert and Chopin. Over 100 people turned up - she had a wide circle of friends. A fitting send-off.

As for the duke - well they seem to have acted according to his wishes, as regards the order of the funeral. But I doubt if he ordered the blanket TV coverage. Not that it will make me any more anti-monarchy than I was already. I didn't watch - but then why should I? I wasn't personally acquainted with the old guy...
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
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Mike Sales
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by Mike Sales »

Rather belatedly, I have had a vision of a D of E from a bicycling monarchy designing his own hearse.
It would be a bicycle sidecar or trailer as pictured in the bicycle hearse thread.
I would have turned on the telly for that!
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
Ben@Forest
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by Ben@Forest »

I haven't voted above as I don't vote on these forum polls, they're meaningless. But I watched the funeral (apparently around 13.6 million people in the UK tuned in at some point with an average figure of 6.6 million). I would regard myself as a luke-warm monarchist, not fervently interested in royalty but interested enough to see how they did it, especially in a time of Covid. It was pared-down and understated but perhaps he would have appreciated that.
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al_yrpal
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by al_yrpal »

661-Pete wrote: 19 Apr 2021, 9:18am
al_yrpal wrote: 18 Apr 2021, 7:33am For me, exclusion of religion, and personal eulogies from family and friends together with meaningful favourite music makes an appropriate send off. But...what he had was what he apparently wanted.
Exactly the same as what I would go for - and what we did for my mother. She'd left explicit instructions in her Will: cremation after Humanist ceremony - but we'd known that already. No prayers, no hymns; the crematorium even agreed to remove the cross from the chapel. Eulogies from various friends, a brief biography from my sister (I chickened out :oops: ), and music by Schubert and Chopin. Over 100 people turned up - she had a wide circle of friends. A fitting send-off.

As for the duke - well they seem to have acted according to his wishes, as regards the order of the funeral. But I doubt if he ordered the blanket TV coverage. Not that it will make me any more anti-monarchy than I was already. I didn't watch - but then why should I? I wasn't personally acquainted with the old guy...
At my wife's funeral my son's, daughter's and daughter in laws' Eulogies were read out by the celebrant who did it exceedingly well. I read my own for her, it was difficult to keep my emotions under control. She came in to Annies Song by John Denver, Peggy Seeger sang 'The first time ever I saw your face' which Ewen McColl wrote for her, and after some appropriate poetry we walked out to The Pastoral, her favourite. I did include the Lords Prayer in the service for the Christians who attended. We were only allowed 20 attendees but it was all very personal and lovely. I felt very sorry for the Queen sitting alone that was so cruel. Unfortunately our present covId situation is so cruel in so many ways.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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Ride-sleep-repeat
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by Ride-sleep-repeat »

I am neither a Royalist nor anti-royal so I can honestly say I wasn't bothered either way when he died.It has been expected.
I've not seen one single minute of anything to do with this on TV as I watch live cycling in the day and we catch up on box-sets at night.
I wasn't expecting any Diana type faux-hysteria,I suspect that will come when The Queen passes but I didn't expect blanket coverage either.
As for the Duke himself,well,what you saw is what you got.I don't think he was particularly bad or prejudiced in any way but was more 'of his generation'.He reminded me a lot of my own Grandad who would have been 110 if still alive.Not at all PC but not at all malicious either.Just of his time.
RIP old lad.
thirdcrank
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by thirdcrank »

I think speaking at a funeral ceremony is more of a challenge than may be realised: I've seen more than enough people overwhelmed when it came to it. I've loads of experience of speaking in front of crowds but it's completely different speaking about a recently dead family member while looking at their coffin and I wouldn't do it.

I was involved with the organisation of two funerals in 2015. We engaged celebrants for both. At the first, the celebrant stuck to what I had written which was just what we wanted. At the second, a different celebrant wove bits of what w had written into his own speech about death etc. We should have checked what he had planned, but wrongly assumed that he would do the same as the first.

The modern sound systems in crems are loads better than they used to be. For my mother's funeral, I picked an instrumental version of Sheep May Safely Graze. The beauty of that is that it's peaceful and just trundles on almost forever. It can be faded out just as soo as everybody is in. I nearly slipped up for going out because I picked something by her favourite, Pavarotti. Luckily, it occurred to me in time to specify a studio recording rather than live; otherwise, it would have started with applause. (La Mattinata not Nessun Dorma FWIW.)

Both basic funeral from different branches of the Co-op - excellent service. (Interest = I am a member.)
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661-Pete
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Re: Loving D of E

Post by 661-Pete »

At my Mother's funeral, as is common practice in Humanist ceremonies (I've been to enough of them :( ), the person officiating announced a pause for a minute or two of silent reflection, at which she invited anyone who wished to utter a religious prayer to quietly do so. Humanists are not so much against religious worship as against coerced religion.

Which is why those who are not practising Christians should be under no obligation to attend or watch a Christian funeral. Of course I've been to several of those too - out of respect.

At my father's Jewish funeral, some 50 years ago, I recall the rabbi counting (male) heads to see if there was a quorum (minyan - ten men, ladies don't count!) which would permit me to recite the Kaddish. There were, he said, so I did. But I think he was counting non-Jewish men amongst them. Ah well....
Suppose that this room is a lift. The support breaks and down we go with ever-increasing velocity.
Let us pass the time by performing physical experiments...
--- Arthur Eddington (creator of the Eddington Number).
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