Of course it’s sad...especially for the Queen. He’s been at her side for 74 years!

@Marionville His death has been on the news here all day. It was said he had been hospitalized for heart problems but he died peacefully. It was also noted the queen is in good shape and is totally capable of continuing to rule as she has for decades. It will interesting to see when Charles takes over. Will this be the first time a king (besides Henry VIII ) has been divorced?

@JackPedigo If the Queen lives until she is as old as her mother that will another five years...and make her 100. Charles will of course be quite elderly himself at 78 when the Queen is 100 and it’s also conceivable that she may in fact outlive him and in that case he would never be king. However, it’s more likely that he will, as you say be only the second king to have been a divorcee. Like his great grandfather Edward VII his reign is destined to be pretty short because of the longevity of his mother.

@Marionville All this is very interesting and I do know the Edwardian era was a significant period despite his short reign. I am unfamiliar with the family lineage so who would be next in line after Charles?

@JackPedigo His elder son, Prince William.

@Marionville I should look him up to see what royal skeletons he has in his closet. LOL So if he ascends to the throne will he be King Willy or perhaps pick another name?

@JackPedigo I don’t really think he’s done anything to blot his copy book, he and his wife Kate seem to be a really nice young couple. I’d rather have them than his father and Camilla!

Not a fan of the Royal Family.

@barjoe It may surprise you to know that I’m not much of a royalist either, and think we in the UK need to seriously reform the monarchy. At the moment though, our Queen is our monarch and head of state and has served in that position in an exemplary way. I cannot see a President as a better choice for the UK as our monarch is apolitical, and although titular Head Of State, Parliament is actually the governing political body. When we removed Charles I and beheaded him for believing he was above parliament in 1649...from that day on the monarchy lost its real power. My own preference would be a seriously stripped back monarchy where the king or queen actually works, attends parliament weekly to be advised by the PM on parliamentary business and goes about the streets like an ordinary citizen...much in the way the Scandinavian monarchs do. It works well for them and the citizens there are the happiest in the world. However, I have no personal animosity towards the members of our British Royal Family or.envy their wealth or status at present, just that there are too many who are not in direct line who are merely privileged hangers-on, they need to be cut out completely. I’m not mourning the loss of Philip either but respect that others are, especially his wife, children and grandchildren.

@Marionville A lot of Americans fawn over the royal family. I think many of them wish we had a monarchy here. It disturbs me because our country was founded by overthrowing a tyrannical monarchy, George III. The news cycle in US is completely dominated by the life and death of Philip Mountbatten. I can't identify with the royal family in any way, even in their time of grief.