Prince Philip's greatest hits

Quick Links » Decision '08 | Morning Brief | Must Reads | Latest Articles | Photos

Prince Philip's greatest hits

Thu, 03/13/2008 - 12:14pm

Now that I've revealed myself to be the sworn enemy of British royalty, here's a selection of zingers attributed to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and the husband of Queen Elizabeth II:

Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

To a driving instructor in Scotland: "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to get them through the test?"

To a Nigerian diplomat in traditional Nigerian garb: "You look as if you’re ready for bed."

On seeing a fuse box filled with wires, during a visit to an electronics company: "This looks like it was put in by an Indian."

To members of the British Deaf Association, while pointing to a loudspeaker playing Caribbean music: "No wonder you are deaf."

To a tourist, during a state visit to Hungary: "You can't have been here long, you've not potbelly."

Speaking to British students studying in China: "If you stay here much longer, you'll all be slitty-eyed."

On the "key problem" facing Brazil: "Brazilians live there."

Via Neatorama.

Blake Hounshell | Permalink |

| Comments? Login or register

( filed under:

Britain

)

Prince Philip

by ilia.markov on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 4:19pm

I cannot refrain from adding another "zinger" to the above mentioned:

It was on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of my University (of Essex in UK) that Queen Elizabeth visited the campus.

There was a big ceremony and since the university prides itself for its international diversity foreign students like me (I'm Bulgarian) were asked to participate in the ceremony by gathering in groups and holding a flag of their respective countries.

However, since I was alone in my "group" and because the Brits just *love* their monarchy I was pushed and crumpled, holding the flag with one hand, while a bunch of middle-age middle-class Brits were standing right behind the Bulgarian flag, waiting impatiently to see their Goddess and her Royal Consort.

There they are! They walk-by and while Queen Elizabeth is talking to people on the other side of the aisle, while Prince Philip turns his attention to people on my side. As he walks past my flag he looks at it, then up at the people standing behind it and he asks "What's that flag?" And they're like "It's the Bulgarian flag" at which point he makes a surprised look and they quickly add: "Nonono, we're just holding it!" He stops for a second and then concludes: "Ah...NATIVES" and then keeps walking. The Brits are caught flat-footed for a second and then laugh crazily as if they just heard the most brilliant joke.

And it's not fact that he didn't know the flag that I find amusing, it's the "natives" part... Poor Britain. :)