Queens Husband, Edinburgh - Prince Philip has died age 99

[natty01295]

Queens husband has died age 99 - June, he would have been 100

Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, has died

Buckingham Palace has announced that His Royal Highness Prince Philip has died.

[Whoeveritis]

How awfully awfully awfully shocking

[mac4]

I presume that's a facetious comment or you're very easily shocked. A 99 year old, who has not been in good health, dies. Not exactly unexpected! But definitely sad and worthy of a sympathetic tribute.

[malumbu]

Open question - is wall to wall coverage on every BBC channel over the top? What is disrespectful about keeping some schedules unchanged? Serious views only, I'll not be going to the tower on this one.

[Spartacus]

I agree Malumbu, bbc1 and bbc2 are showing exactly the same program. If they had different content then fine but the same content is strange.

Very sad for the Queen at this time

[Blah Blah]

The coverage is to be expected to be fair. Whatever one thinks of Monarchy etc etc, the Queen has lost the closest person in her life after 73 years of marriage. Thoughts should be with her at this time.

[malumbu]

Is it right that the coverage is blanket though? We've lost Mountbatten and the Queen Mum in my lifetime without the same level of response from our national broadcaster; in a democracy a fair question to ask. Princess Di as well of course, but not sure she was still a royal.

[diable rouge]

Showing the same programme on two channels is very North Korea, by all means show different tributes etc, but not the same one. And why have they suspended BBC4? I'm guessing the BBC is frit it might get accused of being 'unpatriotic' by the usual nationalistic suspects. Surely the big question tonight is, will a catfish win The Circle?...

[Guest]

Or who won Masterchef which the Final was due to be aired this evening, wiped from the schedule and antie beeb doesn't have the courtesy to say when it will be broadcast.

It does not necessitate both BBC 1 and BBC 2 broadcasting simultaneously the same content, BBC4 suspended for 24 hours and what happened to the Women's football match which was due to be screened this evening, duly wiped from the schedule.

Their is only so much that can be said about his death and tribute, show it by all means, but once shown it doesn't need to be broadcast continuously for 12 hours.

[womanofdulwich]

I think the football was on bbc4. I saw a bit.

[Seabag]

jazzer Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Or who won Masterchef which the Final was due to

> be aired this evening, wiped from the schedule and

> antie beeb doesn't have the courtesy to say when

> it will be broadcast.

>

> It does not necessitate both BBC 1 and BBC 2

> broadcasting simultaneously the same content, BBC4

> suspended for 24 hours and what happened to the

> Women's football match which was due to be

> screened this evening, duly wiped from the

> schedule.

>

> Their is only so much that can be said about his

> death and tribute, show it by all means, but once

> shown it doesn't need to be broadcast continuously

> for 12 hours.

No you?re right, maybe a snappy advert in the style of Just Eat, singing ?Prince Philip is DEAD? would have been easier to consume, maybe 30 seconds of penguins tap dancing, with the last penguin making the announcement.

Followed of course by the Masterchef voice over of India Knight

?Prince Philip is dead, followed by a jus and rosti potatoes?

I mean surely we all know the Queens husband is dead by now, so let?s just rush back to mind bendingly orderly and show these other important things

Shhheesshh...a whole 12 hours of social history, like whatever.

[KidKruger]

^^^🙏🏻^^^

[Alan Medic]

Blah Blah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The coverage is to be expected to be fair.

> Whatever one thinks of Monarchy etc etc, the Queen

> has lost the closest person in her life after 73

> years of marriage. Thoughts should be with her at

> this time.

I certainly wouldn't have 'expected' the exact same coverage on so many BBC platforms. It's bloody weird in my opinion. And it's hardly 'fair' to non Royalist citizens, never mind fee paying immigrants like me (or am I an ex-pat?). No offence to the Queen who I have a lot of respect for, but what are 'gaffes' by Phil, would be considered racist comments in some cases, by others.

Meanwhile the government chooses to shut up shop while Belfast burns. Very convenient for Johnson.

[Sephiroth]

The overreaction of (say) the bbc in blanket mourning across ALL channels is weird

But this is the only practice they will get for The Big One

[Blah Blah]

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Blah Blah Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> I certainly wouldn't have 'expected' the exact same coverage on so many BBC platforms. It's

> bloody weird in my opinion.

> Meanwhile the government chooses to shut up shop while Belfast burns. Very convenient for Johnson.

I am no Monarchist, but I can see why the death of the Queen's husband would be a major news event. We live in a Monarchy, with a history shaped by it. To underplay the importance of that institution is naive.

As for Philip's gaffes, coverage is being respectful in its recollection of those. Not ignoring them, but not overtly pushing them either. I hated everything Thatcher stood for for example, but I took no part in celebrating her death. Whatever a person is or isn't, did or didn't do, death should always be met with dignity and grace. In time, history allows for debate of the merits of a person, but at point of death, compassion has to be shown for those directly impacted imo.

As for Belfast, Parliament is in recess as it always is for Easter. Not sure why you think government have deliberately shut up shop there. The PM and NI secretary are in contact I am sure and the situation being monitored. MPs are back on Monday.

[DulwichFox]

The Coverage was extensive..

Not something that could of been put together in a couple of hours after Prince Phillip had died.

IMHO this has been in the Can for Months waiting for the poor fellow to pass away.

#Shocking..

DulwichFox.

[malumbu]

DF this is prepared months or even years in advance - as with any major news event - for example when the truth came out about the Hillsborough disaster, that evening a documentary was ready and waiting. I think I and others are surprised about the amount of coverage, and wonder how much the national broadcaster has to do this, under 'Forth Bridge' or felt it had to do under the current government. And as said earlier we didn't have this level of media response when other eminent royals left us including a former Queen, and the Queen's sister (sorry I forgot Margaret in an earlier post)

BB - we may live in a monarchy but many of us consider this is outdated and that there should be an elected head of state. No issues about keeping a royal family.

And my personal views/memories go back to the wonderful Spitting Image, where I thought their treatment of the royals was playful rather than cruel. Phil the Greek sneaking off to get a sneaky kebab. Don't misrepresent this, it was fond memories that I expect the royals would have enjoyed too.

[Sephiroth]

BB. no one is denying it?s a major news event. News channels can 24 hour blanket coverage the thing for weeks if need be

But trying to listen to any radio station (eh 6 music places you?d expect to get away from this) are badly affected as well. 6 music has dropped all regular shows and is just playing some extremely limited lite music

[Spartacus]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The Coverage was extensive..

>

> Not something that could of been put together in

> a couple of hours after Prince Phillip had died.

>

> IMHO this has been in the Can for Months waiting

> for the poor fellow to pass away.

>

> #Shocking..

>

> DulwichFox.

The news channels have tributes already made up for major public figures that they add to and update on a rolling basis just in case.

Hardly shocking foxy, it's something they plan for and possibly have been since moving pictures were first invented.

Good business practice IMHO

[diable rouge]

Newspapers are the same, they're not waiting for people to die, it's just preparation in case someone dies irrespective of age...

[fishbiscuits]

The coverage IS over the top.

I'm not denying it's headline news, and no doubt it's a sad time for fans of the royal family (and of course his own friends and family). I am not without sympathy... but the truth is that not everybody follows the royal family, or finds them relevant. It is also true that he was a controversial character, and not everyone was a fan.

Maybe have the blanket coverage on BBC1, and leave other channels to cater for other interests (not that I personally watch broadcast TV these days).

[malumbu]

I understand that the BBC had pre-recorded programmes of sympathetic music to play in these circumstances. Briefly listening in today some was OK for background - hadn't realised that HRH PP was a fan of Nick Cave though (see song for the weekend thread). Not sure if the delivery driver playing Land of Hope and Glory was listening to the BBC or whether the Daily Express has it's own music channel.

[Jules-and-Boo]

99 is a good innings and he certainly had a full life. I feel for the Queen who had lost her husband of over 70 years.