The Queen/Prince Philip

[tabitha2]

58 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

It was a very nice service. I'm surprised that no one in the family gave a eulogy, but obviously Philip must not have wanted that.

Charles looked like he's definitely been crying a lot lately. He was very red, both in face and eye. 

Who was it that drove with the Queen? Was that Princess Alexandra? The only person I could think it could be was Penny Knatchbull, but I doubt that. 

I'm glad that Harry was talking to William and Kate. 

It was Lady Susan Hussey who has been her Lady in Waiting and companion since Andrew was born. 

[kachuu]

I'll just leave this here...

 

https://www.the-sun.com/news/2672026/britain-mourns-prince-philips-death-sun-says/#

[adidas]

5 hours ago, anjulibai said:

It was a very nice service. I'm surprised that no one in the family gave a eulogy, but obviously Philip must not have wanted that.

Charles looked like he's definitely been crying a lot lately. He was very red, both in face and eye. 

Who was it that drove with the Queen? Was that Princess Alexandra? The only person I could think it could be was Penny Knatchbull, but I doubt that. 

I'm glad that Harry was talking to William and Kate. 

Apparently he didn’t want a sermon or eulogy.

Charles looked bereft and HM was pale. Seeing her wipe her year away in the car was heartbreaking, especially knowing that she would be leaving her lady in waiting to go to sit alone. 

[samurai_sarah]

10 hours ago, Loveday said:

(snip)

I'm sort of appalled that the Queen is sitting alone. One would think Charles and Camilla could have sat by her at least. But I'm wondering if possibly she preferred to be alone. ?

(snip)

 

English Covid rules, I'm afraid. It's sad, but if the monarch were seen to break the rules for indoor gatherings, it would look rather bad. After more than a year of lockdown after lockdown, and being unable to see friends and family, the public probably wouldn't be very happy to see that the rules don't apply to the royal family.

That doesn't make it any less sad.

[Seahorse Wrangler]

I think this will be the beginning of the end for HM. I doubt we'll see her much beyond State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour and Remembrance Day. Possibly a State visit for President Biden and any Jubilee functions  next year. I can't see her abdicating just scaling back to near invisibility.

[Loveday]

1 hour ago, samurai_sarah said:

English Covid rules, I'm afraid. It's sad, but if the monarch were seen to break the rules for indoor gatherings, it would look rather bad. After more than a year of lockdown after lockdown, and being unable to see friends and family, the public probably wouldn't be very happy to see that the rules don't apply to the royal family.

That doesn't make it any less sad.

I thought about that, but I just kept thinking, surely at least one or two of the other family members there are in her 'bubble,' so why can't they sit with her? But maybe they are and she decided to sit on her own anyway to avoid any misunderstanding by the press and public. Or because she felt the need to be alone, I would certainly understand that. Whatever the reason, her solitude made the funeral just that much more poignant.  

[adidas]

3 hours ago, adidas said:

Apparently he didn’t want a sermon or eulogy.

Charles looked bereft and HM was pale. Seeing her wipe her year away in the car was heartbreaking, especially knowing that she would be leaving her lady in waiting to go to sit alone. 

I can’t edit - it’s supposed to say wiping her tear away. Not year.

[adidas]

I didn’t pick up on this, I saw it in the news. 

Her Majesty had been expected to wear a brooch to today’s service that had some connection to her husband of more than 73 years, however instead she opted to don the Queen Mary pearl and diamond Richmond brooch.

The last time she had worn this particular number it was to the Sussexes’ 2018 wedding, suggesting that this could represent something of a subtle peace offering to Harry and Meghan.

[viii]

From what little we saw, it seems like Harry and William at least made some steps towards reconciliation. 

[Xanariel]

2 hours ago, adidas said:

The last time she had worn this particular number it was to the Sussexes’ 2018 wedding, suggesting that this could represent something of a subtle peace offering to Harry and Meghan.

I would rather doubt that the Queen's focus at the funeral of her spouse of over 70 years was trying to signal anything to Harry and Meghan. 

Harry and William talking together was a good sign, though. I suppose it'll be interesting going forward to see if there's any thawing of relationships - though if Gayle King pops up to inform everyone how productive the conversation was, we can probably assume not. 

[tabitha2]

Great documentary on Phillip:

 

[louisa05]

6 hours ago, Xanariel said:

I would rather doubt that the Queen's focus at the funeral of her spouse of over 70 years was trying to signal anything to Harry and Meghan. 

Harry and William talking together was a good sign, though. I suppose it'll be interesting going forward to see if there's any thawing of relationships - though if Gayle King pops up to inform everyone how productive the conversation was, we can probably assume not. 

Pearls are traditionally daytime jewels and often worn at funerals. Not everything is about Meghan even if she and half the world would like it to be. 
 

Harry and William may have been talking about the weather. If you look closely, William doesn’t seem to actually say much.  

[tabitha2]

I just saw an article proclaiming Kate wearing the Pearl necklace was a tribute to Diana. Hmm.  

[kachuu]

That's so interesting because the articles I'm seeing are stating Kate as the sole peacemaker bringing the brothers back singlehandedly. I bet they were talking about the weather...

 

[Alisamer]

On 4/17/2021 at 10:30 AM, Loveday said:

And then things got worse when the choir sang Eternal Father, Strong To Save. My family has huge ties to the US Navy, and I get choked up every time I hear that hymn.

It was only a quartet, from what I could see. It's just the acoustics are so amazing it sounded like a full choir. 

As a random American who usually watches royal stuff for curiosity and to see the fashion, I thought it was a moving, elegant service. I do wonder how it would have differed if it had been in non-Covid times, however. (Mostly because I appreciate any opportunity to see the Battle of Britain Memorial flight with the Spitfire and Lancaster. And Philip was a pilot, wasn't he? Trained on Chipmunks, just like the Memorial Flight's trainers.)

[tabitha2]

When the Queen passes and  then Charles is crowned we will see a full ensemble of European and world Monarchs and all the pomp and majesty on full Blast. 

Edited April 19, 2021 by tabitha2

[viii]

2 hours ago, tabitha2 said:

When the Queen passes and  then Charles is crowned we will see a full ensemble of European and world Monarchs and all the pomp and majesty on full Blast. 

Provided COVID isn't still such a thing, then. 

[Loveday]

2 hours ago, Alisamer said:

It was only a quartet, from what I could see. It's just the acoustics are so amazing it sounded like a full choir. 

As a random American who usually watches royal stuff for curiosity and to see the fashion, I thought it was a moving, elegant service. I do wonder how it would have differed if it had been in non-Covid times, however. (Mostly because I appreciate any opportunity to see the Battle of Britain Memorial flight with the Spitfire and Lancaster. And Philip was a pilot, wasn't he? Trained on Chipmunks, just like the Memorial Flight's trainers.)

I saw that it was a quartet, but at the time I was posting, the word just was not coming to me! I'm starting to worry about myself, it's taking longer and longer sometimes to come up with the right word or phrase, whether in writing or speaking. Especially in the morning!?

I agree, though, they did sound like a full choir. And the service was very moving and elegant. I've always thought that when I go, I don't want any sort of service at all, but if my family still insists, I think something as quietly simple as this one would do nicely. Sadly, it won't be at St George's, though, darn it. I've often wondered what it would be like to know you're going to be buried somewhere as historic as St George's, or Westminster Abbey, surrounded by so many historic figures. ?

[QuiverFullofBooks]

On 4/17/2021 at 2:19 PM, anjulibai said:

Charles looked like he's definitely been crying a lot lately. He was very red, both in face and eye. 

Likely a sunburn. It’s spring planting season and he’s probably spending a lot of time in the garden. Apparently he has a notion that sunscreen is bad for you. But I’m sure he’s been crying too. He had a difficult relationship with his father and he was seeing Harry for the first time in a year.

[tabitha2]

Phillip said it best:

 

"He's a romantic, and I'm a pragmatist. That means we do see things differently," he once told the UK's Sunday Telegraph in 1999.

"And because I don't see things as a romantic would, I'm 'unfeeling'."

 

But age tends to mellow people and They worked together to revive  and renovate Windsor Castle after the fire which probably did much good for them as father and son.  Charles finally finding happiness in his personal life could not have hurt either.

[adidas]

Prince Philip has left his ponies to Lady Louise .

https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/prince-philip-leave-ponies-to-granddaughter-lady-louise/65f28772-f042-4d87-9253-baa0908bc1b8

[tabitha2]

Perfect! They will be great hands. Of all the grandchildren she and her brother got the benefit of her grandparents time and affection the most and got their love of horses  and the country the most but for Zara I guess. 

[viii]

That's sweet. She also wore a brooch referencing their shared love of horses for the funeral. 

[tabitha2]

52 minutes ago, viii said:

That's sweet. She also wore a brooch referencing their shared love of horses for the funeral. 

 

 

Right? Esp. As she will most likely end up an obscure rarely seen Royal  with a pile in the country enjoying the life her grandparents  should have got and would have loved if things had turned out the way they were supposed to. 

[ADoyle90815]

For me, one thing that made me cry was seeing the Queen sit alone, it was because of Covid guidelines, and I do wonder what it would have been like if there was no pandemic. I did love the chapel, and when the Garter King of Arms read out his titles at the end.

Edited April 20, 2021 by ADoyle90815