Prince Philip E-Book

Phil Dampier

• Herausgeber: Medina Publishing
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 80

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

On 4th May 2017, just over a month before his 96th birthday, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Philip was to retire from royal duties in August. The news made headlines around the world and the outpouring of affection for the Queen's loyal consort was sincere and justified.

During Her Majesty's 65 years on the throne he has always been at the Queen's side - and often a few steps behind - no one could have supported her better. Within hours of the announcement Prince Philip was doing what he does best - trying to see the funny side of life, even if it's at his own expense.

Accompanying the Queen to a service for members of the Order of Merit at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace, he was told by a guest - "I'm sorry to hear you're standing down." With barely a moment's hesitation Philip replied "Well, I can't stand up much longer!"

This book includes an unrivaled selection of the Prince's golden gaffes and wise words from his first public appearances as a Royal nearly 70 years ago up until his retirement this August. Including the rude, the controversial, the insightful and the downright hilarious, Prince Philip: A Lifetime of Wit and Wisdom is not to be missed.

Leseprobe

Prince Philip

A Lifetime of Wit and Wisdom

Prince Philip

A Lifetime ofWit and Wisdom

Phil Dampier &Ashley Walton

with illustrations by Richard Jolley

PHIL DAMPIER has been writing about the royal family for 30 years.

Between 1986 and 1991 he covered the royal beat for TheSun, Britain’s biggest-selling daily newspaper.

As a freelance journalist for the last 25 years, he has travelled to more than 50 countries following members of the House of Windsor, and his articles have been published in dozens of newspapers and magazines worldwide. He frequently appears on radio and TV, and gave expert analysis for Global National TV of Canada during their coverage of the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in April 2011.

He lives in Kent with his partner Ann.

ASHLEY WALTON was the royal correspondent of the Daily Express from 1979 to 1992.

He travelled to every continent covering numerous tours, including the Queen and Prince Philip in India, Africa and China.

He was one of the first reporters to identify a young Lady Diana Spencer as a future royal bride, and covered her last tour with Prince Charles to South Korea in 1992. He was also among the first to reveal the romance between Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.

He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife Joan. They have two adult sons.

RICHARD JOLLEY has been a freelance cartoonist for twenty years. He has contributed to many national newspapers and regularly appears in Private Eye, The Spectator and the Mail On Sunday. He drew the strip ‘Liz’ about the Royals in Private Eye. His work has been exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Cartoon Museum.

Born in Lancashire, raised in Cheshire, he lives in North London with his wife and two children.

CONTENTS

Sources and Acknowledgements

Introduction

The Prince of Political Incorrectness

Blasted Birds and Bloody Bunny Huggers

The Commander: Splice The Mainbrace!

Media Monkeys

A Sporting Life

On Himself and His Family: Royal Reflections

SOURCES & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Some of these ‘gaffes’ and comments were witnessed by the authors. Many have come from hours of combing through national and local newspaper reports. We are also grateful for material from the following sources:

Books

Butler, Peter, The Wit of Prince Philip. Leslie Frewin, London, 1965

HRH Duke of Edinburgh, Men, Machines and Sacred Cows. Hamish Hamilton, London, 1984

Prince Philip Speaks: Selected Speeches 1956–59. Collins, London.

Brandreth, Gyles, Philip and Elizabeth – Portrait of a Marriage. Century, London, 2004

Interviews

A Strange Life: Profile of Prince Philip by Fiammetta Rocco. Independent on Sunday.

December 1992

‘I’ve just got to live with it.’ Interview by Gyles Brandreth. Sunday Telegraph. May 1999

Duke takes the hazards in stride. Interview by Sue Mott. Daily Telegraph. May 2006

TV Programmes

The Duke: A Portrait of Prince Philip with Sir Trevor McDonald. ITV 2008

Prince Philip at 90 with Alan Titchmarsh. ITV 2011

The Duke at 90 with Fiona Bruce. BBC 2011

INTRODUCTION

When Duke of Hazard: The Wit and Wisdom of Prince Philip was first published in 2006 to mark his 85th birthday, it received worldwide publicity and critical acclaim.

On 4 May 2017, just over a month before his 96th birthday, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Philip was to retire from royal duties by the end of the year.

The news made headlines around the world and the outpouring of affection for the Queen’s loyal consort was sincere and justified. For 65 years he was at Her Majesty’s side – and often a few steps behind – and no one could have supported her better.

The ‘Iron Duke’ has not always enjoyed a good press – but his dedicated years of service, longevity and, notably, his sense of humour have at last been appreciated by the media and the public.

Within hours of the Palace announcement, Philip was doing what he does best – trying to see the funny side of life, even at his own expense. Accompanying the Queen to a service for members of the Order of Merit at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace, he was told by mathematician Sir Michael Atiyah – a mere youngster at 88 – “I’m sorry to hear you’re standing down.”

With barely a moment’s hesitation Philip replied, “Well, I can’t stand up much longer!”

It was a typical riposte from a man who had used his wit and wisdom to amuse, and sometimes infuriate, thousands of people from all walks of life.

Since our last best-selling collection of ‘Philipisms’, Wise Words and Golden Gaffes, the Duke has continued to crack jokes at every opportunity and seems intent on enjoying each day to the full.

Those quips are included in this edition and bring his laughter files up to date.

We wish him well in his retirement, but we have no doubt he will keep active and still be seen often in public.

Best of all, we’re sure ‘The Gaffer’ will carry on with his unique politically incorrect one-liners, and hopefully keep us all chuckling for years to come.

Phil Dampier and Ashley WaltonJune 2017

THE PRINCE OF POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS

Chatting with TV chef Prue Leith at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards in 2017, she remarked that this would be his ‘last year’. Philip replied:

‘I’m discovering what it’s like to be on your last legs.’

For a programme about the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, presenter Phillip Schofield performed a wing walk.

‘Why are you doing that?’ asked Philip. ‘Does someone not like you? You open your mouth up there and you’ll blow up like a balloon.’

He later introduced Schofield to a parachutist saying, ‘Meet a fellow idiot – he’s a sky diver.’

(2016)

While accompanying the Queen to the opening of the National Cyber Security Centre, Philip asked an employee if he spoke Russian or Chinese.

When told, ‘No,’ he replied, ‘Let’s hope they don’t attack while you’re on duty!’

Reflecting on the annual procession of the Order of the Garter in Windsor Castle:

‘Rationally it’s lunatic. But in practice, everyone enjoys it – I think.’

Former Labour MP Janet Anderson recalled being ‘taken hostage’ – an ancient tradition for MPs – at Buckingham Palace while the Queen set off for the State Opening of Parliament. Philip told her:

‘If we don’t come back safely you get shot!’

On a state visit in 2015, President Xi of China was shown some Chinese treasures from the Royal Collection. Philip told him:

‘You can’t claim any of them back – we check your luggage before you go!’

At a Buckingham Palace reception to thank those involved in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Prince Philip met Conservative Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

‘Who are you?’ he asked.

Hunt explained he was Health Secretary but had been Culture Secretary during the Jubilee and Olympics.

‘Well, they do move you people on a lot,’ said Philip, walking off.

(2012)

On a visit to Berlin, Philip, then 94, told a guest at a garden party:

‘I’m sorry I’ve forgotten your name, I forget everyone’s name nowadays.’

The next day he met German medical student Bastian Rosner and asked him:

‘Do you plan to treat patients when you have qualified?’

Not surprisingly told ‘Yes,’ Philip replied:

‘If I had the choice I wouldn’t see any doctors at all - they all give you different opinions.’

On a visit to the Chadwell Heath Community centre in Dagenham, London, Philip asked a group of women:

‘Who do you sponge off?’

Trustee Nusrat Zamir said afterwards:

‘We told him our husbands. He was just teasing.’

He later asked:

‘Do you meet to have a gossip?’

After glancing at business chief Atul Patel’s name badge during a Palace reception for 400 influential British Indians:

‘There’s a lot of your family in tonight!’

(2009)

On a walkabout in Bromley, Kent, he spotted 90-year-old Barbara Dubery sitting in a wheelchair, wrapped in a foil blanket to fend off the cold.

‘Are they going to put you in the oven next?’ asked Philip.

(2012)

The same day, he was confronted by pretty, 25-year-old blonde, Hannah Jackson, in a red dress with a zip down the front. Philip turned to a nearby policeman and said:

‘I would get arrested if I unzipped that dress!’

(2012)

Philip wasn’t a great fan of former SNP leader Alex Salmond, who he called Wee Willie Winkie. After Salmond left one meeting, Philip asked the servants:

‘Have you counted the spoons?’

At a lunch at the Palace, Philip was seated next to Poirot star David Suchet. Each was presented with a whole mango as pudding. Turning to the Duke, Suchet asked advice on peeling it.

‘You don’t peel a mango, you slice it!’ was the curt reply, as Philip grabbed a sharp knife and demonstrated.

(2012)

In 2007, President Kufuor of Ghana and his wife were staying at Buckingham Palace when the main lift broke.

Philip offered to take them in the luggage lift muttering:

‘I thought it was only bloody Daleks who were baffled by stairs!’

On a visit to Manchester he chatted to students at the University of Salford and said:

‘Do you fight?’

To a woman solicitor:

‘I thought it was against the law these days for a woman to solicit.’

(1987)

Just a month after his 85th birthday, Philip proved he was going to carry on dishing it out as normal.

While giving out Duke of Edinburgh’s Award prizes at Holyroodhouse in Scotland, a student told him he had been working in Romania.

‘Romania?’ Philip asked. ‘You didn’t go across to help in one of those orphanages did you?’

When the student said ‘No,’ the Prince exclaimed,