Prince Phillip is not known for his tact.'

1.During a state visit to China in 1996 Philip described Beijing as "ghastly" and told British students: "If you stay here much longer you'll all be slitty-eyed."

2. “You’re too fat to be an astronaut,” the no-nonsense Duke apparently told 13 year-old Andrew Adams when visiting a rocket exhibit at Salford University in 2001.

According to reports, the conversation went as follows…
Prince Philip:*"Would you like to travel into space?"
Andrew Adams:*"Yes."
Prince Philip (laughing):*"You'll have to lose a bit of weight if you want to go in that.”

The schoolboy was reduced to tears after having his dreams dashed.

3.Aboriginal leader William Brin, of Queensland, was at the receiving end in 2002, when he remarked: “Do you still throw spears at each other?”*

4. After being told that Madonna was singing the 'Die Another Day' theme tune in 2002, the prince said: “Are we going to need ear plugs?”

5.In 2003, the old wisecracker told a robed President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo: “You look like you’re ready for bed!”*

6. Straight-talking Prince Philip told a Scottish driving instructor in 2005, "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to get them through the test?"

7. Discussing his views on the crippling 1981 recession, the Prince said: "Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed."*

8.* After the Duke struck up a conversation at a Garden Party in 2009, he was highly critical of the guest’s facial hair, saying: "Well, you didn't design your beard too well, did you? You really must try better with your beard."

9. The Duke has made a string of politically-incorrect comments to women over the years.* Two years ago, when a female Sea Cadet told him she worked in a nightclub, he famously replied: "Is it a strip club?"

Well, Price Philip... what can I say...

And people say that Simon Cowell has a sharp tongue...

I remember when he visited India and went to the site of the 1919 Amritsar massacre where British troops shot down people durring a peaceful demonstration, he read the plaque on the memorial then exclaimed "Did we really shoot that many? That can't be right!"
Subtlty and tact was never his strong point, but you got to admire him for not being afraid to speak his mind.

Originally Posted by viper2007

Well, Price Philip... what can I say...

And people say that Simon Cowell has a sharp tongue...

Simon Cowell is a pussy cat compared to Phil the Greek

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

Simon Cowell is a pussy cat compared to Phil the Greek

Phil the Greek? I thought he had German blood? I could have been mistaken...

Originally Posted by viper2007

Phil the Greek? I thought he had German blood? I could have been mistaken...

Philip is Greek, Born 10 June 1921 (age 90) Mon Repos, Corfu, Greece.

Lord Louis Mountbatten name was originally German, Battenberg. It does get a bit complicated however.

The Windsor name now used by Queen Elizabeth II and other British royals only dates back to 1917. Before that the British royal family bore the German name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha in German).

World War I. Since August 1914 Britain had been at war with Germany. Anything German had a bad connotation, including the German name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Not only that, Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm was a cousin of the British king. So on July 17, 1917, to prove his loyalty to England, Queen Victoria's grandson King George V officially declared that "all descendents in the male line of Queen Victoria, who are subjects of these realms, other than female descendents who marry or who have married, shall bear the name Windsor." Thus the king himself, who was a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, changed his own name and that of his wife, Queen Mary, and their children to Windsor. The new English name Windsor was taken from one of the king's castles.)

Queen Elizabeth II confirmed the royal Windsor name in a declaration following her accession in 1952. But in 1960 Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip announced yet another name change. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, whose mother had been Alice of Battenberg, had already Anglicized his name to Philip Mountbatten when he married Elizabeth in 1947. (Interestingly, all four of Philip's sisters, all now deceased, married Germans.) In her 1960 declaration to the Privy Council, the Queen expressed her wish that her children by Philip (other than those in line for the throne) would henceforth bear the hyphenated name Mountbatten-Windsor. The royal family's name remained Windsor.

The British House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) began with Queen Victoria's marriage to the German Prince Albert of Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha in 1840. Prince Albert (1819-1861) was also responsible for the introduction of German Christmas customs (including the Christmas tree) in England. The British royal family still celebrates Christmas on December 24th rather than on Christmas Day, as is normal English custom.

Now you know why I hated English history at school. lol

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

Philip is Greek, Born 10 June 1921 (age 90) Mon Repos, Corfu, Greece.

Lord Louis Mountbatten name was originally German, Battenberg. It does get a bit complicated however.

The Windsor name now used by Queen Elizabeth II and other British royals only dates back to 1917. Before that the British royal family bore the German name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha in German).

World War I. Since August 1914 Britain had been at war with Germany. Anything German had a bad connotation, including the German name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Not only that, Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm was a cousin of the British king. So on July 17, 1917, to prove his loyalty to England, Queen Victoria's grandson King George V officially declared that "all descendents in the male line of Queen Victoria, who are subjects of these realms, other than female descendents who marry or who have married, shall bear the name Windsor." Thus the king himself, who was a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, changed his own name and that of his wife, Queen Mary, and their children to Windsor. The new English name Windsor was taken from one of the king's castles.)

Queen Elizabeth II confirmed the royal Windsor name in a declaration following her accession in 1952. But in 1960 Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip announced yet another name change. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, whose mother had been Alice of Battenberg, had already Anglicized his name to Philip Mountbatten when he married Elizabeth in 1947. (Interestingly, all four of Philip's sisters, all now deceased, married Germans.) In her 1960 declaration to the Privy Council, the Queen expressed her wish that her children by Philip (other than those in line for the throne) would henceforth bear the hyphenated name Mountbatten-Windsor. The royal family's name remained Windsor.

The British House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha) began with Queen Victoria's marriage to the German Prince Albert of Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha in 1840. Prince Albert (1819-1861) was also responsible for the introduction of German Christmas customs (including the Christmas tree) in England. The British royal family still celebrates Christmas on December 24th rather than on Christmas Day, as is normal English custom.

Now you know why I hated English history at school. lol

Ok, now I am beginning to hate English history, too!

Originally Posted by viper2007

Well, Price Philip... what can I say...

And people say that Simon Cowell has a sharp tongue...

Actually he is the only royal I do like outside Andrew primarily because he says what he thinks but once QE 2 keels over I am hoping New Zealand will become a Republic and kick the Monarchy for touch as I do not want to have Chuck III in charge.

Originally Posted by MontyB

Actually he is the only royal I do like outside Andrew primarily because he says what he thinks but once QE 2 keels over I am hoping New Zealand will become a Republic and kick the Monarchy for touch as I do not want to have Chuck III in charge.

I don't think Charlie boy will become king, I think William will take HRH's place. Charlie blotted his copy book with the British people over his treatment of Diana and the royal family attitude which what was seen as total disregard over her death.

Just my opinion.

I hope you are right although I disliked Diana as well, I think she manipulated the press very well but the fact is that it is time we moved on.