Elizabeth Windsor ..

[wolf63]

I've just read this short obituary about the Queen, I know many won't be interested in it but I thought that I would post the link anyway.

https://www.politico.eu/article/the-short-unhappy-life-of-elizabeth-windsor-queen-elizabeth-ii-obituary/

[FatticusInch]

What a dreadful piece of fantasy(I won’t deem it ‘journalism’).
Let the lady at least go cold before posting such utter garbage, if you really have to.

[choux]

I read it, wolfie :) Thank you. I find the television coverage to be extremely repetitive - someone has looped the news...

[Canary42]

A different slant, with lots of truth in it, but hardly appropriate at the present time.

[choux]

I am not sure that now is an inappropriate time for an obituary, Canary. The news channels have been covering the Queen's life non stop from about 12:30 today.

[jno]

a good piece of semi-outsider journalism, I thought, Fatticus - it got her dedication to duty and her suppression of her own self about right (as far as I caan tell).

It's also the case I think that the royals' one big failing was in raising children. Going off on a long tour (in 1953) and leaving two young children behind wasn't quite normal behaviour even then (though it was probably standard among those who went out to rule the Raj), and it's a relief to see William and Harry behaving like normal parents. But I believe Charles was damaged by his schooling, and Andrew and Edward have both turned out entitled and out of touch.

[wolf63]

If anyone thinks that the thread is inappropriate please report it and have it removed.

I sometimes forget that others are more sensitive to death and dying than I am. I can be pretty clueless to the point of insensitivity about the subject.

[FatticusInch]

Must confess to never having read an obituary that mentioned allegations of infidelity by a partner.
I guess modern journalism waives the conventions of taste, decency and decorum when writing about the death of a much-loved and revered monarch?

I suppose some just crave their 15 minutes?

[choux]

No need to apologise for your thread, wolfie. Yes, some people may be very sensitive, each to his/her own. I think this is just 1 of 17 posts on yesterday's news.

[choux]

But on the other hand who would have thought that a nation should be so grateful to one Mrs. W. Simpson?

[jno]

such obits are pretty much standard these days, Fatticus. It was the Telegraph that broke the mould 30 years ago, abandoning phrases like "confirmed bachelor" and "ladies man". You can read something about it here if you can get into it (F5+Esc may help)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/08/31/all-life-is-here-30-years-of-telegraph-obituaries/

This is how the famous die today, for better or worse

[wolf63]

and the Queen Mother never forgave Mrs Simpson. I have to admit that the QM reminded me of my granny. She had a broomstick too.

[choux]

...and a black cat?

[FatticusInch]

I agree Jno, but the most famous female and monarch in the world, highly respected and revered to boot hardly falls into the category of ‘standard’ but that’s the problem when people are dead, they can’t defend themselves against speculation.

[jno]

it's made clear that she did nothing untoward, though. As for Philip - well, perhaps that is precisely the sort of thing that should have gone unmentioned in his own obituaries, and so it did.

[FatticusInch]

choux
//But on the other hand who would have thought that a nation should be so grateful to one Mrs. W. Simpson?//

On the other hand, there are many who(constitutional crisis aside) admire a King who gave up all the trappings of monarchy for love.

[wolf63]

choux -many black cats.

I hope that the media don't feel the need to dissect the marriage of the Queen and Prince Philip. Her private life should remain just that. She should be celebrated and remembered for being an inspiration to many.

[jno]

very true, Fatticus, that was the story about Edward VIII around when I was young. But I don't know how popular he was when it happened: "Hark the Herald Angels sing, Mrs. Simpson’s pinched our king".

http://www.lunascafe.org/2015/02/word-travels-fast-with-and-without.html

More recently, his Nazi dealings have tarnished his name irreparably. I've been told Charles was appalled when he found out and vowed not to become a naive, populist Prince of Wales like that.

[jno]

wolf, I don't know if you can see this obituary by Simon Schama, but try it - I found it very good

https://www.ft.com/content/7dcec97c-2b7b-41c2-80cc-38df81dab54f

[FatticusInch]

Think it’s behind a paywall, Jno.

Could you c&p it?

[davebro]

They had a name change in WW1 to become less Germanic:

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
The House of Windsor came into being in 1917