Saturday, April 10, 2021

ululate!

Britain's Prince Philip has passed away at the ripe old age of 99.  See more here.  The United States fought a war to release itself from the shackles of monarchy, so from an American perspective, I'd say that the prince's death is only of peripheral concern to me.  That said, the man seemed to be a decent chap whose tongue would occasionally outrace his brain, and he had the additional burden of being husband to Queen Elizabeth (currently 94)—a burden not because he didn't love her (by all accounts, the marriage was rooted in love), but rather because he was always second fiddle according to the British rules of succession.  Philip chafed at this reality in his youth, but he grew into the role as time went on.  

I see there's a lot of talk about how, with old, long-married couples, when one spouse dies, the other follows soon after (Barbara Bush died in April of 2018; GHW Bush died in November of the same year).  Along with that talk is the dread expressed at the thought of Prince Charles's becoming King Charles.  Well, the British monarchy is what it is, so what will be will be.

RIP, Prince Philip.



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