Monarchy (101/365)

[white_hart]

Normally I manage to more or less ignore the fact that I live in a monarchy, and that the royal family aren't just another set of celebrities who I couldn't care less about but who get a lot of press coverage. Unfortunately, royal deaths are guaranteed to shatter that illusion, as the BBC suddenly drops all of its normal programming in favour of solemn music and tribute programmes to reflect a non-existent mood of national mourning. I'm sure it's sad for his family, but personally I find it hard to feel much emotion at all about the death of a 99-year-old man who I had no connection to or interest in in life. I was sadder about the death, announced yesterday, of a former Big Brother contestant at 38, from anorexia; I may not have had any idea of who she was before that, but 38 is far too young.

It also appears that the government is supposed to shut down until after the funeral, as a mark of respect, which is really annoying when we're waiting for an announcement about when (or if) students on non-practical courses can return to university...

Comments

[muninnhuginn]

Here's hoping they respect the COVID is excepted from the shutdown of govt business when thinking about universities...

[white_hart]

The article I saw suggested that they'd cancelled the COVID press conferences, so I fear not.

[hilarita]

It is all intensely irritating, especially given that we're just ignoring the deaths of 125,000 people who happened not to be monarchs.

[white_hart]

This is also very, very true. It seems particularly awful to have all this performative grief about an overprivileged 99-year old when so many people have died with so little recognition.

[cmcmck]

It's the hypocrisy of the BBC that amazes me!

[white_hart]

Indeed.

[antisoppist]

It's the people on Vanuatu that revere him as their god I feel sorry for. I had forgotten about them but the BBC news website reminded me this morning.

[white_hart]

Apparently they're switching to worshipping Prince Charles. Which is probably not really any worse, just bad in a different way.

[serriadh]

It's intensely annoying. It's the forced mood of national mourning by scheduling exactly the same content on BBC1 and 2 and shutting down BBC4 that I found so annoying. Fine, BBC1 should be given over to Prince Philip Broadcasting (because he was at least a Major Royal and, as much as I may dislike it, the Royal Family is constitutionally important), but there's no need to take the view that no one should be allowed to watch anything else.

I can't believe the government has apparently just forgotten about the return to university decision. We go back next week - even if they announce it today we can't do it in time now, and then there'll only be 2 weeks left of teaching so hardly worth it.

[white_hart]

Yes, I could see dedicating one channel to it, and pulling things like Have I Got News For You? that might be seen as disrespectful, but not showing anything else at all seems rather OTT. (I gather, though don't watch it myself, that even cBeebies had a banner directing people to coverage, like small children are going to care.)

[alithea]

BBC6Music was back to normal this morning so I have hopes we might actually be able to watch *something* on the BBC this week that isn't about Phillip.

I feel sorry for the Queen and his family, but yeah, he was 99 and had lived a long and privileged life, it's hardly a tragedy, especially on the scale of all the families who have lost loved ones well before their time to COVID and not been able to properly mourn them with friends and extended family.

I'm already bracing myself for the crazy we're going to have to put up with when the Queen dies...

[white_hart]

It does look as though things are returning to normal now. But yes, it does make me dread what will happen when the Queen dies, which realistically is going to be in the next few years...

[aunty_marion]

I've just avoided the funeral entirely by watching snooker on iPlayer live instead (BBC2), and avoided the minute's silence at 3pm by hearing them say it, skipping back two minutes, and then skipping forward again to live action when I heard the announcement again! No, I don't care; it's hard for the queen, of course, but I don't see why everyone else should be forced into public mourning for someone who's mostly had very little impact on their lives.