Condolences to the royal family

Many will have personal memories of the Duke of Edinburgh from meeting him or from his presence in our living rooms on tv or in the newspapers. The Queen has launched an electronic book of remembrance on www.royal.uk. I recommend this for all wishing to send condolences and to record their impressions of him and his service to the Queen and nation. The royal website also has more information about the Duke and his work.

20 Comments

  1. Mark B
    April 10, 2021

    Good morning and thank you, Sir John.

    My next door neighbours, Mike and Jan, will especially sad at yesterday’s news. Mike served in the Royal Navy and was, for a time, assigned to serve on the The Royal Yacht Britannia. He has many fond memories of that time, The Royal Family, The Queen Mother and especially HRH Prince Philip, or “Phil” as he was known.

    ;(

    1. Ian Wragg
      April 10, 2021

      Yes Mark, the vast majority who served in the Royal Navy have nothing but praise for Phil.
      He served us and the Queen well.

  2. Fedupsoutherner
    April 10, 2021

    I’ve left my message of condolence and thank you John for posting the website to do so. A very sad time for our country but most of all, the Queen.

  3. No Longer Anonymous
    April 10, 2021

    Thank you, Sir John.

    I met Prince Philip and he made me laugh out loud. He was genuinely funny, interested and charismatic. He was much loved and respected where I worked and my colleagues numbered a fair few ex service personnel and most of those from elite troops.

    I don’t know why but I thought he was going to live forever, which is why it still came as a great shock to me yesterday. With each one of these great people who pass the World seems a little closer.

    I wish to thank our Queen for having married him and for having shared him with us.

  4. No Longer Anonymous
    April 10, 2021

    *…the World seems a little colder. *

    Sorry.

  5. Andy
    April 10, 2021

    It is sad that he died – and it is especially sad for the Queen to lose her husband and for his children and grandchildren to lose their dad/grandad. But he had a good, long and healthy life and really the rest of the country must move on to more important things. Let the Royals grieve in peace.

    127,000 thousand are dead on this government’s watch -and none of those deaths gets blanket TV coverage for days on end. They don’t get a full front page photo. Most victims barely get a mention.

    I hear Parliament is being recalled so MPs can spend a day paying tribute to The Duke. This is the same Parliament that spent less than a day scrutinising the Brexit trade deal which so harms our country and our children. This Parliament which gave no thought to our children is now going to spend a whole day paying tribute to one old chap who died.

    As Belfast burns due to Brexit riots and dozens still die each day from Covid the death of one man is being used as a distraction by those who want to distract. A pause in election campaigning helps those who have an embarrassingly poor record to campaign on.

    Perhaps MPs would do better spending their time at the Covid memorial wall instead – or in working out the damage the have done to so many lives and livelihoods with their Tory Brexit – than in spending an entire day doing paying tribute to an old man who sadly died. Pay tribute in your own time and use the time we pay you for to fix the problems you have all made.

    1. Roy Grainger
      April 10, 2021

      You’re right Andy, Covid hasn’t been covered at all in the last year either onTV or in the press and your newspaper choice the Guardian hasn’t mentioned the fact they blame the government for every single one of the deaths. Thanks for giving this issue a rare airing. At least Brexit has saved more than 10,000 lives due to us not participating in the EU’s frankly negligent vaccine shambles eh ?

    2. Glenn Vaughan
      April 10, 2021

      UGH!!

    3. No Longer Anonymous
      April 10, 2021

      Here is why we got Brexit in the first place. No tact or diplomacy from the Remainer. “Kick ’em while they’re down.” attitude. Slap ’em ’round the face with a wet fish

      Had you waited just a few years to implement full on integration with the EU there would have been little resistance. Too premature, too disresptectfull, too fast and too obvious – I bet you make a fantastic lover (not.)

    4. Richard1
      April 10, 2021

      I suppose at a time of national sadness it’s light relief to be able to laugh at the depraved rantings of a snarling leftist.

  6. steve
    April 10, 2021

    Have duly paid my respects on the condolence website, thank you for highlighting the opportunity Mr Redwood.

  7. steve
    April 10, 2021

    Andy

    We all know you have unique perceptions concerning older people, but perhaps you might care to reflect on how many young lives that man turned around…even giving of his time to help young people in prison.

    The duke was a decent man who gave so many a better hand in life than fate dealt them.

    We will not take troll bait on this one, we’re not biting. While I respect your right to your point of view, I do ask; Can you not leave the politics out of it ? Just this once ? I’m sure everyone on here would accord you some respect if you could oblige.

    Thank you.

    1. M Davis
      April 10, 2021

      To Andy? No respect from me whatsoever!

  8. Dave Andrews
    April 10, 2021

    The problems of Northern Ireland could so much be alleviated if the Republic decided to leave the EU. The UK and Eire could form their own amicable agreements, unencumbered by the strictures and strife of the EU. Even better, a united British Isles. Put the parliament in Dublin, seeing as the Palace of Westminster is crumbling.

    1. Old Salt
      April 11, 2021

      Dave
      Would the NIP be an issue now had the Irish not voted for a second time in 2009 to approve the treaty of Lisbon having failed in 2008? (“Irish European Constitution referendum”) (look-up)

      Elsewhere referenda etc either cancelled or ignored in other countries. The EU will “do what it takes”- as they say. Divide and conquer comes to mind.

      Mairead McGuinness Irish EU Commissioner on TV a week or so ago on the NIP subject “..get used to the new reality”. So no going back to normality between England and NI. United Ireland by the end of the decade foretold.

  9. hefner
    April 10, 2021

    ‘London Bridge is down’, the secret plan for the days after the Queen’s death, 17 March 2017, by Sam Knight, might be worth a read, if anything just to get prepared …

  10. ukretired123
    April 10, 2021

    Prince Phillip experienced childhood loss, trauma and desertion from an early age with upheavals familiar to many millions across the world after WW1 and then again in WW2.
    This experience growing up without any title or entitlement meant he could talk as an ordinary man to anyone with genuine empathy, humility and humour. This was well before staged tv and films like Trading Places whereby a Company boss exchanged with one of the workers. His Gordonstoun school was not for wimps.
    As a country we owe him a great deal for his grit and determination to make the monarchy work to benefit on so many levels.
    To appreciate his contribution you just have to look at how power went to other’s heads around the world, both male and female. I doubt we will ever see his like again sadly. Most folks I know would salute him.
    99.9 years old he saw many lesser mortals fall short. R.I.P.

    1. ukretired123
      April 10, 2021

      He threw down the gauntlet to the young (via the Duke of Edinburgh Award) – Challenge yourself to achieve something positive (rather than sit watching the world go by or moaning about it).

  11. Lindsay McDougall
    April 11, 2021

    “The king is dead; long live the king.” Except that we have an ageing Queen, now reigning without her ‘rock’. We need to start thinking about whether Charles is fit to be king. Probably ‘yes’ because it will only be for a few years. Personally, I don’t mind Charles having political opinions, as long as he appreciates that politics is a rough trade and that if he talks nonsense he can expect people to say so. What will not be tolerable is for Charles to write letters to his PM in spidery handwriting in secret and expect to be obeyed. A few judicious leaks would cure him of that habit. And if he wants to style himself as Defender of Faith, I hope that someone will point out to him that a majority of people in this country are atheists, agnostics or vague theists -in other words they are essentially irreligious. What we need is a Defender of No Faith.

    1. Mary M.
      April 11, 2021

      ‘The Prince’s Trust’. Look it up. Then judge.

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