Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is dead

[politicallefty]

I cannot imagine how Her Majesty The Queen feels at this time. Many people don't even get to live for nearly 74 years, let alone having been married that long. May he RIP.

I hope Her Majesty finds the strength to reign for decades into the future.

She is 95 this month, so on balance unlikely.

I'm aware of her age. The Queen Mum was 101 when she passed. It's certainly possible for her to reign for another two decades. She's set to have her Platinum Jubilee next year, 70 years on the throne. I don't know what it's called if she reaches 75 or 80 or something beyond.

I don't think most people are ready for the Queen to pass. She's been around for so long, longer than most people have been alive. Whatever one's opinions are about the monarchy, she is still a remarkable woman. Even for those that are glib about the monarchy, I think many will be hit hard when she does pass.

[StateBoiler]

You read about his early life and it makes me consider how soft modern people are. Most people today had his childhood and they would see a psychiatrist once a week and always frame their life as they were a victim instead of getting on with it and living up to their responsibilities. Yes, he was a minor royal that had a life of privilege pre-meeting Elizabeth, but I have the same thoughts when looking at say my grandfather that was in poverty and lied about his age to fight in the Pacific at 15 years old, compared to today where in law we make people in their early 20s dependent on their parents.

I just kind of wish modern culture believed more in stoicism. It would be a net benefit. Would've greatly helped with response to Covid for starters.

[CumbrianLefty]

I cannot imagine how Her Majesty The Queen feels at this time. Many people don't even get to live for nearly 74 years, let alone having been married that long. May he RIP.

I hope Her Majesty finds the strength to reign for decades into the future.

She is 95 this month, so on balance unlikely.

I'm aware of her age. The Queen Mum was 101 when she passed. It's certainly possible for her to reign for another two decades. She's set to have her Platinum Jubilee next year, 70 years on the throne. I don't know what it's called if she reaches 75 or 80 or something beyond.

I don't think most people are ready for the Queen to pass. She's been around for so long, longer than most people have been alive. Whatever one's opinions are about the monarchy, she is still a remarkable woman. Even for those that are glib about the monarchy, I think many will be hit hard when she does pass.

Well its certainly "possible", but *super*centenarians are still very rare even now.

(and actual confirmed 115 year olds even more so)

[politicallefty]

I cannot imagine how Her Majesty The Queen feels at this time. Many people don't even get to live for nearly 74 years, let alone having been married that long. May he RIP.

I hope Her Majesty finds the strength to reign for decades into the future.

She is 95 this month, so on balance unlikely.

I'm aware of her age. The Queen Mum was 101 when she passed. It's certainly possible for her to reign for another two decades. She's set to have her Platinum Jubilee next year, 70 years on the throne. I don't know what it's called if she reaches 75 or 80 or something beyond.

I don't think most people are ready for the Queen to pass. She's been around for so long, longer than most people have been alive. Whatever one's opinions are about the monarchy, she is still a remarkable woman. Even for those that are glib about the monarchy, I think many will be hit hard when she does pass.

Well its certainly "possible", but *super*centenarians are still very rare even now.

(and actual confirmed 115 year olds even more so)

I just said I hope she makes it that long. If she can hit 105, that'd be amazing. She probably takes after her mother. Unlike her father and sister, she's doesn't smoke, she doesn't drink, and seems to generally be in good health.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

It would be kind of cool if Elizabeth broke Louis XIV's record for European monarchs, but Sobhuza II of Swaziland's record for monarchs worldwide strikes me as more or less unbreakable except by another child monarch (Sobhuza came to the throne at four months old).

[Türkisblau]

I hope Her Majesty finds the strength to reign for decades into the future.

Seeing someone named "politicallefty" cheering on a monarch to "reign for decades into the future" is just about the saddest thing I've seen in a long time, no matter the context. Do you support a hereditary elite only when it's a queen in charge or is this a general principle of yours?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I cannot imagine how Her Majesty The Queen feels at this time. Many people don't even get to live for nearly 74 years, let alone having been married that long. May he RIP.

I hope Her Majesty finds the strength to reign for decades into the future.

She is 95 this month, so on balance unlikely.

I'm aware of her age. The Queen Mum was 101 when she passed. It's certainly possible for her to reign for another two decades. She's set to have her Platinum Jubilee next year, 70 years on the throne. I don't know what it's called if she reaches 75 or 80 or something beyond.

I don't think most people are ready for the Queen to pass. She's been around for so long, longer than most people have been alive. Whatever one's opinions are about the monarchy, she is still a remarkable woman. Even for those that are glib about the monarchy, I think many will be hit hard when she does pass.

What's crazy is that if she dies in 9 1/4 years and Charles takes the throne, Charles will immediately surpass Victoria to be the second oldest monarch ever of the British Isles.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Suddenly remembered that scandal where Tony Abbott knighted Phillip. I wonder what the Duke made of that affair? Presumably he laughed, like I assume all the royals do at obsequious fools like that.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Suddenly remembered that scandal where Tony Abbott knighted Phillip. I wonder what the Duke made of that affair? Presumably he laughed, like I assume all the royals do at obsequious fools like that.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/ex-pm-tony-abbott-why-i-was-right-to-give-prince-philip-a-knighthood/news-story/79b10a8266fd02ec545e23062ee28cda
Speak of the devil! (unfortunately behind paywall)

[ibagli]

Suddenly remembered that scandal where Tony Abbott knighted Phillip. I wonder what the Duke made of that affair? Presumably he laughed, like I assume all the royals do at obsequious fools like that.

I actually think the story one of Abbott's friends told, that the Queen herself asked him to do it, is plausible. The context that leads me to find the claim believable is that Canada and New Zealand gave the Duke their top decorations right around the same time, and that was a period of time in which the Queen was known to be looking to add to her husband's trophy case in his final years (she also made him Lord High Admiral and gave him another knighthood).

[CumbrianLefty]

Funeral tomorrow.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Funeral tomorrow.

Is the thing about ceremonially calling the Navy to battle readiness normal for funerals of royals with close military ties? It seems potentially dangerous to me.

[CumbrianLefty]

I don't think too much should be read into it, no.

[beesley]

A list of those attending:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56765468

[FT-02 Senator A.F.E. 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

It would be kind of cool if Elizabeth broke Louis XIV's record for European monarchs, but Sobhuza II of Swaziland's record for monarchs worldwide strikes me as more or less unbreakable except by another child monarch (Sobhuza came to the throne at four months old).

Ah, the good ol' Anglo-French rivalry continues on.

[politicallefty]

I hope Her Majesty finds the strength to reign for decades into the future.

Seeing someone named "politicallefty" cheering on a monarch to "reign for decades into the future" is just about the saddest thing I've seen in a long time, no matter the context. Do you support a hereditary elite only when it's a queen in charge or is this a general principle of yours?

Neither actually. Note that I used the term reign as opposed to rule. I'm also pragmatic as this point too. She does embody a certain sense of stability. I don't think the monarchy should go on forever, but so long as it does she's the best person to fill that role. I do think other Commonwealth countries should move to establish their own heads of state upon her death though.

I think what I find admirable about the UK is not so much the monarchy itself (although I do think Queen Elizabeth II is a remarkable woman), but rather the separation of head of state and head of government (although I do prefer the Westminster system as well). While we in the US have separated power into three branches of government, there are massive flaws in having one person be both head of state and head of government. We don't technically have that designation, but that's basically what it is in practice.

[Conservatopia]

Congrats Phil.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

At 69 years, he was the longest serving consort of a sovereign state.
Sirikit of Thailand would beat him if her husband was still alive, but is second at 66 years.
Kōjun of Japan lived another 11 years after her 62 years being empress.
I don't think anyone else beats the 58 years Philip had as consort of Jamaica.