A Conversation for The Quite Interesting Society

QI - Last Will

Post 1

Yarreau

Why did a well-known public figure insist on a private funeral?


QI - Last Will

Post 2

Mrs Zen

Usually it's about avoiding the thing becoming a circus. Think of the outpouring when Diana died. Einstein asked to be cremated beacuse he did not want anyone "worshiping his bones". The pathologist stole his brain, though.

B


QI - Last Will

Post 3

Mrs Zen

And then kept it in a jar, slicing bits up and sending them off to other scientists to study. He drove around the US with it in his car.


QI - Last Will

Post 4

Yarreau

Well, this person stated a very specific reason.


QI - Last Will

Post 5

Yarreau

But this is Quite Interesting, I suppose: +6


QI - Last Will

Post 6

Mrs Zen

Not wanting people worshipping your bones is pretty specific.

Let's see....

If it was a he - did he not want his wife and his mistress to fight over his bones?


QI - Last Will

Post 7

Mrs Zen

I thought it was fascinating, this stuff about Einstein's brain. Or more accurately about the wierd guy who stole it for studying.

I would say where I found it out - but it's FAR too good a source of potential QI questions to let on about it! smiley - winkeye

B


QI - Last Will

Post 8

Yarreau

And that would be the first smiley - bluelight, I'm afraid...
But yes, it was a "he".


QI - Last Will

Post 9

Br Robyn Hoode - Navo - complete with theme tune

Yarreau, which bit was the Klaxon? Just so we know what's definitely wrong!


QI - Last Will

Post 10

Yarreau

The bit about "his wife and his mistress fighting". As far as I know, he was happily married.


QI - Last Will

Post 11

Mrs Zen

Ok, so not a fight between a wife and a mistress - nothing as obvious as that.

Infection? Was it a matter of public duty? Did he want to avoid the crowds catching something?


QI - Last Will

Post 12

Yarreau

No, but I like that idea.


QI - Last Will

Post 13

Mrs Zen

No mistress. No epidemic. He clearly could specify what happened to his corpse (unlike a felon, for example).

Was the funeral actually private, or was it held publically despite his wishes?


QI - Last Will

Post 14

Yarreau

No, he got his private funeral all right. He had cancer and knew he was dying, so he got to announce his wish, and the reason for it, a few weeks in advance.


QI - Last Will

Post 15

Mrs Zen

*thinks*

So not Alexander the Great then. His corpse was smeared in honey and carted around the middle east and the eastern mediterranean for years, with armies fighting pitched battles to get hold of it.

I don't know if that counts as "public" or "not a funeral".

You can tell I'm stumped, can't you?


QI - Last Will

Post 16

Mrs Zen

We aren't talking about Mr Shakespeare, are we?

Come on, give me a smiley - bluelight you know you want to!


QI - Last Will

Post 17

Yarreau

As much as I may want to, neither Shakespeare nor Alexander warrant a smiley - bluelight...

This person was actually buried and is now hopefully resting in peace... there was nothing unusual about his funeral whatsoever, only about the announcement he made in advance.


QI - Last Will

Post 18

Mrs Zen

Well, I knew it wasn't Alexander - I was just hoping to prompt you to say "no, he was modern". Alexander's marriage was hardly happy, either.

Hmmm.

Ok.

Are we talking this side of 1500 or the other side of 1500?

B


QI - Last Will

Post 19

Yarreau

BTW, "avoiding a circus" smiley - clown probably wasn't all that far from the truth... although it is not the reason he stated.


QI - Last Will

Post 20

Mrs Zen

Barnum?


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