RoverAndOut

Agreed. The tributes last week talked about how there were plenty in and around the family who were deeply worried about him marrying Princess Elizabeth, not just because he was seen as a bit of a playboy but because of his German links. This being the same Philip Mountbatten who most of his contemporaries think would have risen to be First Sea Lord had his Navy career been allowed to develop.

As you've just pointed out though, Andy and Fergie are *not* spouses. Think they'll wait until The Queen dies myself. Don't think Harry will drop that low at any point in his life. Really, you're looking at it from the wrong angle: Princess Alexandra was the second child of the Duke of Kent, the 4th son of King George V and therefore King George VI's niece. At the time of her birth, only King George VI's two daughters (the Queen and Princess Margaret), the King's brothers, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent (Alexandra's dad) and her older brother, the current Duke of Kent, were in front of her. That puts her roughly in the position of David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl Snowdon (formerly Viscount Linley). When he was born in 1961, he was the nephew of the Queen and 5th in line to the throne (behind Charles, Andrew, Anne and his mother, Princess Margaret). He dropped to 6th a couple of years later when Prince Edward was born. He's dropped from 12th in line to the throne in 2005 to 23rd in line today and counting. A rough calculation, by the time he's Princess Alexandra's age (if he gets there), I reckon he'll be around the 40s in the line of succession, once the younger members of the immediate family have grown up and the families that have just started, like Beatrice and Eugenie's have had their children. For the next generation, Archie will be in the same position, nephew of the future King and 6th in line to the throne after the Queen dies (unless Kate has another). He'll drop a fair way over the decades as George, Charlotte and Louis grow up.

Interesting that the original guest list was for 800! Shows how many hangers on there when you boil it down. No place for his Private Secretary either. Fun fact (matter of opinion) I came across, while looking up the German relatives: Prince Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse is the grandson of Prince Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse, after whom (according to Wikipedia at least) Prince Philip was named (Philipp spent a lot of time in Greece with his aunt, Princess Sophia of Prussia, Queen of Sophia of Greece, the sister-in-law to Philip's father). It says Donatus has been invited to represent Philip's younger sisters, who married into the Hesse line. Donatus was actually named after his relative Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse, who was married to Philip's younger sister Cecilie - they died in a plane crash in 1937. This led to the photo that has been doing the rounds recently of Philip at a Nazi funeral - the Grand Duke had joined the Nazi Party 6 months earlier. No Lady Pamela Hicks, I think they've drawn the line at the only necessary 90+ year-old being present. And re: the Countess Mountbatten, as Toast said previously, and has been publicised, she was Philip's carriage riding companion. She's late 60s, so surely a bit young for any funny business with Philip, and anyway, I think it's her hubby that's the one who likes to play around - according to headlines on Google from the DM and such like, the 3rd Earl Mountbatten was out of the family home for a while due to infidelity. At least this way, the Mountbatten name is still represented and by somebody the Duke actually liked. Seems like a list he'd approve of for the most part, but I'd agree maybe getting rid of Mapelli Mozzi and giving a place to his Private Secretary would have been more apt, although I guess they couldn't leave him out when everybody else could bring spouses.

Plus the vast majority of those photos are irrelevant to this funeral. This isn't the funeral of a monarch, it's the funeral of a consort. The only photos relevant to that are the ones from the Queen Mother's funeral in 2002. Although it's also worth noting that this is the first example of a consort dying before the Monarch since Prince Albert, so is itself of different significance to the deaths of Elizabeth, Mary of Teck and Alexandra.

Just over 14 months later, sounds like this was one thing he was telling the truth about.

Random historical update alert: Shirley Williams's passing means the long-gone Rockhopper Penguin becomes the 10th person to complete the first round of this game. He actually scored a Unique hit (his 3rd) but also his 5th and final House of Lords member, meaning he becomes the second person after ImNotHades to complete 2 ways at once! Only Switch, Young Willz, Rad Guy, Time and good old Deathers have yet to finish the first round any of the 3 possible ways nearly 5 years after it began and nearly 3-and-a-half years after it ended!

I was going to say huge figure in general, but then decided people would argue and I couldn't be arsed. Just for the record, the Gang of 4 who quit the Labour Party and formed the Social Democratic Party [SDP] (who later merged with the Liberals to form the Liberal Democrats) were: Roy Jenkins (1920-2003) - Labour Chancellor 1967-70 and Home Secretary 1965-67 and 1974-76, President of the European Commission 1977-81, Leader of the SDP 1982-83 - died of a heart attack. Bill Rodgers (1928-) Labour Transport Secretary 1976-79, created Baron Rodgers of Quarry Bank in 1992, sitting for the Liberal Democrats, Leader of the Lib Dems in the Lords 1997-2001, suffered a stroke in 2001 but fully recovered. Shirley Williams (1930-2021) - Labour Education Secretary 1976-79, created Baroness Williams of Crosby in 1993 sitting for the Liberal Democrats David Owen (1938-) Labour Foreign Secretary 1977-79, Deputy Leader of SDP 1982-83, Leader of SDP 1983-1987, created Baron Owen of Plymouth sitting as a crossbencher

Baroness Shirley Williams, Lib Dem stalwart and Gang of 4 member dead aged 90 according to Laura K. Big figure on the left for decades. Also the daughter of Vera Brittain.

Not a bad looking list but looks more like our back of a fag packet calculations rather than necessarily any inside knowledge. Not entirely convinced by a couple of names, particularly Princess Alexandra (84) and Lady Pamela Hicks (91). Are they really going to be travelling to a funeral in a pandemic? Although I suppose the risk is lessened now given vaccines and transmission being low, and also this is a pretty big one and they are local(ish). Then I realise that the Kents are now nearly 90 themselves and the Michaels and Gloucesters are mid-70s+. Also seen various places saying the Archbishop of Canterbury will be officiating, but maybe that's just a general assumption. Guess we'll see. Article from Women and Home here 4 days ago about the mysterious disappearance on Princess Alexandra, who hasn't conducted a royal engagement since July, but is not ill according to the Palace (who won't say why she's not been seen). There's a Christmas message she recorded in the article, so presumably that's from about 4 months ago if you're looking for signs. On the Duchess of Kent, there's this from the Express last year gossiping about how she's claimed to have both the Epstein-Barr Virus and Coeliac Disease but also claimed she's got "no history of ill health". No analysis, expert opinions or anything like that. Just a short article stirring the shit, as one would expect of the Express. But there we have it.

EFL matches to be moved to avoid clashing with the funeral. Times to be announced once the full details of the funeral are released, but sounds like they may hold them earlier or later on Saturday. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12271909/efls-3pm-kick-offs-on-april-17-to-be-moved-for-prince-philips-funeral

I think this game is going to outlast some of its competitors...

Since some of you have been on tenterhooks...

Nick Witchell just said Harry will come back for the funeral. I suspect Meghan may cite pregnancy issues with flying and also looking after Archie. Still, they knew this was coming when they did the interview, had to be prepared for an awkward return in the near future. I didn't count Peter's wife as they're separated like you said, I did include Fergie since she's still essentially Andrew's other half and he needs all the friends he can get at the minute. But the son of the heir to the throne will definitely be expected to be there, and it would say more about the relations if Harry doesn't come back than if he does.

OK, so, from Monday the restrictions lift to 30 for funerals... There is just enough room for the immediate family (including the Sussexes): rough count, Queen + kids and consorts + grandkids and consorts + great grandkids = 32 in total, but given Eugenie has a baby and Zara has a baby, and most of the great grandkids are under 8, let alone 10, I'd imagine a number of them wouldn't attend anyway. So there's space for a few more. Margaret's kids and grandkids maybe? I'm not sure Philip's got any living family he's close to on the Battenberg side. I don't think there'd be a massive need for them to break the rules, nor would it be a good look at an already tricky time PR-wise for the family to have more than the allowed number of mourners.

BBC website's live text on the cricket ended 2 minutes after the announcement of his death.

Actually think lockdown has probably been quite nice for them: a chance to spend his final year together in a way that hasn't probably been possible for decades. There'll be some closure in that.

I'm presuming there's been discussion in the past year, and particularly early this year since he went into hospital, about what the procedures will be if he dies during lockdown restrictions. I'm assuming there's a plan in place about crowds, lying in state plans, state funerals, who'll be at the funeral, how they'll get there, and so on. It'll all come out in due course.

I said this when he appeared. Suddenly showing his age. Found it amusing he was contacted "down the line" in the minutes after the death while he quite obviously going to be putting on his black tie and suit to come into the office - he was on screen about 15 minutes later!

Think Martine's stunned she's the one who ended up on duty when it was announced. She must have a million things being yelled in her ear and it's all quite stunted. Was probably always going to be the case, though. I've no idea what impact it will have on the Queen. It will, of course, be devastating to her, but it is not wholly unexpected, and I suspect it's been a managed decline over the fortnight or so he's been home from hospital, so she'll have been preparing for it. I wouldn't put any money on her going this year, fully expect another Christmas message from HM. Oh, and of course Rest in Peace, Your Royal Highness. A life of service with an appropriately low-key end.

Fair point. Having just had a look, you've got a 70s Scottish goalkeeper, and given the way they're diminishing, that's not a bad shout. And you could sneak up on the inside with the unpredictable Nobel Prize Winners group, where you have 4 uniques - youngest is 81, oldest is 89, so who knows?! It was enough for Rotten Ali in Game 1...

Well you keep going Champ, they won't be laughing in the end will they? Trying to predict the Scavenger Hunt, though...it's a mug's game.

But not the old and quiet Sean Connery.

Buffalo Phil was the only one who had Alex Neil, nobody had Ian Holloway. I'll do an update in a couple of weeks.

I'm blaming you for reminding CdG to start another thread. Seems he'd missed the news on Wednesday.

Just to add my own voice to the chorus...who? I'm looking forward to the Buzz Aldrin defence on this one...