Book of gaffes marks Prince Philip's birthday
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 | 5:11 PM ET
CBC News
Prince Philip's numerous politically incorrect and controversial remarks are now available in book form.
And it is being released just in time to mark his 85th birthday on June 10.
Called the Duke of Hazard: The Wit and Wisdom of Prince Philip, the book was compiled by British journalists Phil Dampier and Ashley Walton from comments made by the prince during six decades of royal visits.
Prince Philip, shown during a visit to Singapore in 2006, is known for his many gaffes. He once asked a British student in Papua New Guinea: 'You managed not to get eaten then?'
(Altaf Hussain/Associated Press)
For example, during a 1986 tour of China, Philip called Beijing "ghastly" and in 2000, he remarked that a deaf person in Wales likely got that way by standing too close to loud music.
Other infamous Philip gaffes include:
- To a British student in China: "If you stay here much longer, you will go home with slitty eyes."
- To a British student in Papua New Guinea: "You managed not to get eaten then?"
- To a British tourist in Hungary: "You can't have been here that long — you haven't got a pot belly."
- To a Scottish driving instructor: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?"
- To Australian Aborigines: "Do you still throw spears at each other?"
Buckingham Palace officially apologized in November 2000, after the prince toured a Scottish factory. While looking at electrical equipment, the prince said its crude appearance seemed as if it was "installed by an Indian."
Dampier said the prince speaks his mind.
"He's insulted everyone from literally dozens of countries, so it's certainly not focused on one group of people, including himself and his own family," said Dampier.
Dampier said the book is lighthearted and is meant to show him in an "affectionate manner."
"He's a national treasure," he said.
