Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is the longest serving consort having married the Queen on the 20th November 1947. However, it is his foot-in-mouth comments all over the world which he is best known for. The UK exports him with the Queen to make her look good. He almost guarantees newspaper headlines whenever he is on official business as he is bound to say something inappropriate or offensive. There are too many classics to choose from for a top ten so let’s look at his opinions on ten hot topics and examine what an oaf he really is. Try not to get offended, what does his opinion matter anyway?
He must know what he says!
Prince Philip on…Relationships
“If you see a man opening a car door for a woman it means one of two things: it’s either a new woman or a new car.” Who said romance is dead?
New car….must be the only reason!
Prince Philip on …Music
Following a performance by a children’s band in Australia, the Prince asked: “You were playing your instruments weren’t you? Or do you have tape recorders under you seats?” Nice to see he is so trusting of talent!
He must be going Jacko’s new concerts
He also famously said to a group of deaf children in Cardiff about a school’s steel band: “Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf.” He is clearly not a fan of steel drums but I don’t think that they are loud enough to actually cause someone to become deaf. Perhaps the Duke of Edinburgh knows something I don’t.
Prince Philip on…Women
“British women can’t cook.” – charming!
Well, that broccoli is slightly overdone
In 1984, on a visit to Kenya, a native woman presented the Prince with a small gift. His response? “You are a woman, aren’t you?” There really is not anything that you can say to that!
Prince Philip on…Fashion
When meeting the President of Nigeria, who was dressed in traditional robes, fashion guru Prince Philip declared: “You look like you’re ready for bed.” Guess we now know a little too much about how he likes to dress of an evening!
Bed time Philip! And take your Lithium!
Prince Philip on…Students
The Queen and Prince Philip were on official business to open the Bristol laboratory for Advanced Dynamic Engineering facility at Bristol University. The facility had been closed especially so that they could officially open it but that did not stop him from commenting: “It doesn’t look like much work goes on at this University.” The Queen really has her work cut out for her, doesn’t she?
Nah, they’re all just on Twitter..
Prince Philip on…Public Appearances
It is so nice to know that when people or organisations feel honoured to have a visit from the Duke of Edinburgh, it’s another visit he has on his mind. “Never pass up the chance to go to the loo or take a poo.” That was his response when asked how he dealt with public appearances. Sound advice there if you have anything you’d like to get out of!
It’s nice the Queen has that man to make her look good!
Prince Philip on…Support for the troops
There has been so much campaigning for support for our forces suffering from post traumatic stress disorder but Price Philip seems to think it is a load of codswallop. Talking of his own time in the forces, he said: “We didn’t have counsellors running around every time somebody let off a gun, asking ‘Are you all right? Are you sure you don’t have a ghastly problem?’ You just got on with it.”
Obviously softer these days
Prince Philip on…Political Hot Potatoes
Back in 1996, the country was in disbelief at the horror of Thomas Hamilton shooting dead 16 children and 1 adult at a primary school in Dunblane, Scotland. There was a call for handguns to be banned to make sure this never happened again. Sensitive as a sledgehammer, the Duke of Edinburgh waded into the debate: “If a cricketer, for instance, suddenly decided to go into a school and batter a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he could do very easily, I Mean, are you going to ban cricket bats?” There you are folks, guns and cricket bats – two peas in a pod!
During the recession in 1981, his words of wisdom for the millions of unemployed were: “Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed.” So stop complaining if you are unemployed and go and shoot some pool or book a holiday. The government should really hire him to consult at the Job Centre!
Well, he does have a point there…
Prince Philip on…The Environment
While on a visit in Scotland, the Prince was speaking to three young employees of a Scottish Fish Farm and exclaimed, “Oh! You are the people ruining the rivers and the environment.” Finally! We have found our culprits.
Bye Bye Sammy the Salmon
And now we have saved the best collection of Prince Philip’s gaffes until last…
Prince Philip on…International Relations
Really this could go on and on as he has made so many blunders while speaking to and about other countries so here are a few of the best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) comments he has made.
In 1993, while speaking to a Briton in Hungary: “You can’t have been here that long – you haven’t got a pot belly”. Move to Hungary, get a pot belly! They should really use that on their tourism advertisements.
If they keep visiting this place, maybe!
At a World Wildlife Fund meeting in 1986, he uttered these classic words on the eating habits of the Cantonese: “If it has got four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it.” I believe there is no way that a comment like that just rolls off the tongue. He must have spent time thinking of it, believing it to be a rather clever remark but at no point in that thought process did he ever think of the offence he may cause.
And in 1986, on a state visit to China, he told British students: “If you stay here much longer, you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” Speechless!
So, I think I now have a new-found respect for the Queen. After all, we only get to hear these meanderings when he is let loose on society but she has to put up with him every day. Priceless comedy, yes but from a supposedly intelligent man who believes what he says and is not trying to be funny, it is very worrying indeed.
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The man’s a genius. It’s sad how desperate people are for something to scoff at. Who the hell cares how he feels? He’s a little blunt at times, granted, but critics like your are the reason we have nothing but liars in power. Apparently the gossip queens who spew out garbage like this are in it for nothing but a sense of drama that makes their “real world” feel more like the movies. (i’m a 22 yr old male from Texas, and i’de take him as our President any day)
The man is hilarious. Wouldn’t trade his sense of humour for all political correctness in the world. God save the Queen’s husband.
I’ve heard northern Chinese people say the “if it has four legs and is not a chair…” thing about southern cuisine. Don’t know if they got it off Prince Philip or the other way round.
What can i say, the guy’s got a cracking sense of humour!
I think he is one of englands most honest gentleman.
beats political correctness any time, he is brilliant
If it was Ali G or Billy Connolly we’d just laugh it off but because it is Prince Philip we’re “supposed” to say that this is in poor taste and shame on him. Not me! I think he’s funny, people just don’t get his sense of humor. At least you get to see and hear the real guy!
i can see Elizabeth and Phil cracking up at the end of the day after doing their “majestic thing” around the world. Liz plays the perfect royal queen (thinking what a bunch of twats!) while Phil spills the beans on all the glamour grabbers who want to “be there” for their own egos. Give me more “gaffes” Phil, I’m still laughing from the last one!
ps the chinese will eat anything that moves and doesn’t talk back!
DL
I see three problems. First, none of you have a sense of humor.
Next, he speaks his mind and tells the truth. Neither of those will ever win you any friends. Mostly, people hate the truth and prefer a lie that makes them feel comfortable. You go, Philip!
I think he is so charming and so honest. He is funny and he is the one who can speak some taboos.
He is so freaking real that he couldn’t be real, but he is real. Unfortunatelly he is not in charge of anything cause he is just a person who got married to a queen without any responsibilities (21st century king/queen are just artifacts)
I love philip and I love how he was raised in Hellas for a period of time. This must have made him a philosopher.
He is a legend