Aussie pub under fire for 'tasteless' posts about Queen's death
Pubgoers in Melbourne have planned to "boycott" a pub in the city's southeast over recent social media posts about the Queen's death.
Kelly’s Hotel in Cranbourne shared a series of posts promoting the venue by encouraging customers to dine in, but their marketing has been slammed as "tasteless" and "disgusting".
The posts were shared on Friday when news broke of the monarch's death, but it appears they've since been deleted following widespread backlash.
"I for one will be boycotting Kelly's Cranbourne. The utter disrespect in these posts," one person fumed, sharing a screen-grab of one post on Monday.
"This is beyond disgusting, in no way shape or form is someone else's life ever something to make stupid jokes about, or even sit back and use as a promotional thing."
This particular post included a photo of Prince Harry smiling and looking down at his grandmother, the Queen.
"Do lunch before they die," the caption read. "The opportunities after are extremely limited."
But it was one of many that followed, and it made people furious.
Another post, shared by Seven News, featured a picture of the Queen next to a photo of Harry arriving at Balmoral following his grandmother’s death.
"Yep, he cancelled lunch, time and time again," the post read.
"'She’ll keep till next week!' he said, ‘It’s not as if it’s my Mum’s Mum’, he said.
"But next week never arrived for Grannie Windsor. Do lunch with your oldie!!"
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'Grubby' post slammed by locals
The posts were slammed by local residents who said the venue "tried to be funny but failed".
"I know a few of us that will never go back ... There is a difference between Funny and Grubby," someone said online.
"Disgusting and very distasteful. After our last visits we'd never go there again. It's just a no go zone," slammed another.
Some described the posts as "awful" and "appalling" while one said they were "off-putting".
Dozens of one-star reviews were also left on the venue's Facebook page, but according to Seven News, they too were deleted.
Some locals pointed out that the venue has a history of questionable social media etiquette with one saying, "maybe now they will think twice before posting."
A local Facebook group shared the negative feedback and said "Cranbourne making the news for negative reasons... again."
"Glad to see someone has decided to delete their disgusting posts. Remember restaurant & pokies staff aren't the ones at fault... and don't deserve any backlash from Kelly's Management's decisions on choosing whoever is in control of their disgraceful Facebook Posts," they wrote.
Hotel manger defends posts
Michael Goldie, the hotel's general manager defended the posts saying their intention was to remind younger people to take their grandparents out for lunch but said it was "possibly too soon" to make light of the Queen's death.
"Over the last two years they’ve been stuck in homes ... we thought it might be good to remind younger people the importance of older people in their life," he told Seven News.
Yahoo News Australia contacted Kelly's for comment.
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