The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
BURNETT Poignant image of doting great-grandpa
The mezzo-soprano from Methlick and vocal coach to the stars
When people die and we hear stories about them in a eulogy or an obituary, we often wish we had known these things while they were alive.
In the same way when you see elderly people in a care home, it’s easy to forget that some of them did astonishing things with their lives.
There was a video circulating recently of an elderly woman with dementia who had been a ballerina. When the music for Swan Lake was played, she started to move her arms as if she was on the stage playing the role. It was incredibly moving to see, and it poignantly showed how easy it was to have overlooked the star quality in this wonderful lady.
This week, I think most of us learned things about Prince Philip after his death we never knew before.
I didn’t realise, for example, that he was an environmentalist well before Prince Charles made that his priority. We can also see that many of the causes dear to the hearts of Harry and William were inspired by their grandfather.
As we all know, even though someone has had a wonderfully long life and we know the inevitable must happen, it is still a shock and very tough when you have to say goodbye.
Lots of people in our country have lost loved ones in the last year, and with each death there is a grieving family left behind. It’s no sadder for the Queen to lose her husband than anyone else, but equally she isn’t immune from grief just because of that stiff upper lip she has had to develop.
I’m sad for her. The rest of us could hide away, but today the eyes of the world will be on her as she attends the funeral of her beloved Philip.
If for social-distancing reasons she has to sit alone at the service, that will be a very sad image which will no doubt be on the front of newspapers worldwide.
I thought in contrast one of the loveliest images we saw this week was a photo taken by the Duchess of Cambridge of greatgrandpa Philip coming to pick up Prince George in his horsedrawn carriage. This somehow summed up that, behind the scenes, they are a real family with a bond like anyone else’s.
This photograph was part of a tribute Prince William paid to his grandfather.
Whether intentional or not, it only served to emphasise what Archie has missed out on by not spending time with his family.
It’s a bit unfortunate that the world’s press will be more interested in trying to work out the chemistry between William and Harry today than just letting them grieve in private.
In these Covid days, even the Royal Family can’t break the rules, so a gathering of 30 people is all that is allowed.
Of course, the irony is that if they were to hold the funeral in a pub garden they could have as many as they liked.
People braved snow and freezing temperatures in England this week to sit outside a pub with a pint. If I’m reading the rules properly, we don’t have to brave the snow until April 26, and by then it might be a bit less Arctic anyway.
It’s nice to see people having a bit of a social life again. Sitting having a coffee or a drink with a friend, putting the world to rights, is a simple pleasure we all enjoy.
Fashion retailers will be glad if we have put on some lockdown pounds and need some new clothes. With spring sunshine out this week, it makes us all feel like cheering ourselves up with some light and bright colours. It has been a long winter in our jumpers.
I haven’t bought any new clothes for ages because I’ve done that thing where I refuse to buy a bigger size, so I’m waiting until I’ve got back to fitness (I’m getting there, by the way!).
Gordon, on the other hand, for the first time in years, has had quite a few clothes deliveries. It’s wonderful to see that, having lost five stone, he is really enjoying looking good in clothes again.
It’s a necessity really because XL jumpers look daft on him now and XL trousers fall off.
Hopefully, the charity shops will open soon because some middle-aged man in Bedford who has put on a few pounds in lockdown has a whole wardrobe of lovely XL clothes waiting for him.
Have a good week,