Prince Philip funeral: Queen 'slightly unstable' claims expert

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Gayle King has sparked a sexism row after she suggested Princess Anne being included in her father’s funeral procession may have broken tradition. The CBS host led coverage of Prince Philip’s funeral on Saturday for CBS. She asked Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown why Anne was the only woman walking behind the Duke of Edinburgh’s casket in the procession.

Traditionally, men follow the casket during a funeral procession but Anne walked behind the Queen Mother’s casket in 2002.

Twitter users were quick to react to Ms King.

One wrote: “Gayle King has already demonstrated how little she knows about the Royals with her numerous articles based the on the word ‘unproductive’.”

Another added: “Gayle asked Tina Brown why Anne was in the funeral procession with the men? Uh, Princess Anne is Prince Philip’s only daughter!”

A third person said: “I don’t see why she was surprised. Princess Anne even walked for the Queen Mother funeral procession.

“And I find it disrespectful of her to even question. Princess Anne was his only daughter. Of course, she was going to do that.”

The BBC’s coverage of the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh was watched by an average of almost seven million people.

The corporation devoted almost four hours to the event, led by veteran broadcaster Huw Edwards.

Prince Philip funeral: Royal family follow coffin in procession

Viewing peaked just after 3pm, as the ceremony started, with 11.3 million people tuning in, the BBC said.

The one-hour service, between 3pm and 4pm, was viewed by 11 million people on the BBC, 2.1 million on ITV, and around 450,000 on Sky, BBC News reported, citing figures from the official Barb overnight averages for the hour-long time slot.

The coverage, which drew an average of 6.6 million viewers, began at 12.30pm as Edwards was joined by guests including Sir David Attenborough, Gyles Brandreth and Alan Titchmarsh to share memories of the late Duke, who died on April 9 at the age of 99.

Edwards concluded the coverage at 4.15pm, reflecting on a “deeply moving service,” including “a very dignified and sharp and stylish military procession which symbolised all that was vital and salient in the long life of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh”.

DON’T MISS

Prince Harry ‘doesn’t need a uniform!’ – Duke defended by friend [VIDEO]
Prince Harry to leave UK ‘as soon as funeral over’ [ANALYSIS]
‘Helpful Meghan won’t be coming’ Penny Lancaster dives into row [INSIGHT]

He added: “He now rests in peace in the royal vault beneath St George’s Chapel, having fought the good fight, having finished the race, and having kept the faith.”

Ahead of the event, Edwards wrote in the Spectator: “In four hours of live broadcasting, watched by an audience of millions, the focus is on accuracy and tone.

“Most of the people doling out advice online have – predictably – never been entrusted with such a duty. But thanks anyway.”

The corporation received 110,000 complaints about its coverage of Philip’s death, after it cleared its schedules and put mirrored coverage on BBC One, BBC Two and the news channel.

The complaints were the highest number ever published in the UK about television programming and made coverage of Philip’s death the most complained-about piece of programming in BBC history.

Source: Read Full Article