The Wit and Humour of Prince Philip

[crisiñaki]

Ouch, that should have bruised the guy's ego a lot

 

[lilliegal]

Aren't you bored of people pretending to be someone they are not? What would you think of HM if she started saying that jokes? But she wouldn't because her character is not like that, while HRH's is!
Above all, I find his jokes hillarious!

Racism is a difficult thing to hide in a person. I do believe that people should not be so quick to brand Prince Philip a racist. Telling a few jokes here and there doesn't scream racism (although I personally don't like ethnic or sexual humor).

 

[ysbel]

Why was that doyen of tact and diplomacy Prince Philip left speechless at a glittering state dinner in South America?

As with everything the Royal Family do, the grand dinner had been planned down to the very last detail. The Queen was wearing her finest couture evening dress and had raided the priceless royal jewels collection to make sure of the impact she made at the state banquet, held during a tour of Brazil in 1968.

Everything was going oh-so-well until Prince Philip found himself talking to a Brazilian general.

"Where did you get all the medals?" enquired the Queen's husband.

"From the War" replied the General, politely.

[FONT=trebuchet,trebuchet ms]"I didn't know Brazil was in the war that long" came Philip's reply.[/FONT]

"[FONT=trebuchet,trebuchet ms]At least, Sir, I didn't get them from marrying my wife!".[/FONT] From the royalist

I had to laugh at this one. How funny and how true! Knowing Prince Philip, he probably enjoyed the Brazilian's witticism as much as anyone. The advantage of having a thick skin.

 

[BeatrixFan]

I don't find it funny at all. Prince Philip did his bit in the war and earned his medals. I find it completely rude and impertinent.

 

[lilliegal]

Are there any more "sweetie" quotes of Philip?
And by the way, I'm Chinese and I don't fault Philip for saying the slitty eye comment. It happens. People do it all the time. I do wish it would stop, but the world can't be changed.

Whenever I hear someone mention "slitty eyes", they usually express some type of bias against Asians. I am quite sure the Prince didn't mean it as a term of endearment. The world can't be changed, but no one has to embrace insults directed at them.

 

[ysbel]

I don't find it funny at all. Prince Philip did his bit in the war and earned his medals. I find it completely rude and impertinent.

Not to take away from Philip's war accomplishments, which were quite substantial, being married to the Queen of England gave him some appointments and medals he wouldn't have gotten if he had remained with his illustrious military career as a commoner.

I'm positive that not everyone that has received the Order of the Garter or was installed as Commander-in-Chief of a regiment has really been the most deserving. But its part and parcel of the royal tradition, a lot of royal tradition is not based on merit and people who are not comfortable with that fact are going to be frustrated following royalty.

I'm perfectly comfortable with it and with Prince Philip's brand of humour so if this Brazilian has made a little joke at Prince Philip's expense, at least he did Philip the honor of copying his brand of humour. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so while Philip's fans may be horrified, I think Philip himself got a chuckle out of it.

 

[BeatrixFan]

It wasn't copying Philip's brand of humour - it was downright rudeness. How dare he. The Duke of Edinburgh fought alongside paupers and Princes in the war - he's got the Order of the Garter for his service as a consort. This man should have known his place and kept his mouth shut.

 

[lilliegal]

I don't find it funny at all. Prince Philip did his bit in the war and earned his medals. I find it completely rude and impertinent.

There are plenty of people who find the Prince's comments rude and impertinent. I personally found the "medals" comment to be harsh. However, we get the respect (or lack thereof) that we dish out to others. That's the way the world works. Who knows? Perhaps the Prince made an even snappier comeback.

 

[selrahc4]

On Oct 28 last year at a breakfast to mark the 200th anniversary of St James's barbers, Truefitt & Hill, The Duke of Edinburgh brushed aside one advancing reporter - who politely wondered if he might like to talk to her - with the comment: "Well, you can carry on wondering."

 

[Skydragon]

On Oct 28 last year at a breakfast to mark the 200th anniversary of St James's barbers, Truefitt & Hill, The Duke of Edinburgh brushed aside one advancing reporter - who politely wondered if he might like to talk to her - with the comment: "Well, you can carry on wondering."

Good for him!

 

[qui mal y pense]

When I think of HRH Prince Phillip, it always came to mind the expression: foot in mouth, wonder why?

Was it not the good duke who coined the term "Ped-odontics"?

Besides, At least we know from whence Anne gets her ladylike and genteel ways.

 

[selrahc4]

Was it not the good duke who coined the term "Ped-odontics"?

Ah, yes..
In a speech to Britain's General Dental Council in November 1960, he said:
"Dentopedology is the science of opening your mouth and putting your foot in it. I've been practicing it for years."

 

[qui mal y pense]

That he has.

Thanx for looking it up.

 

[Lee27]

Prince Phillip was quite loose with his comments early in his "career" as Prince Consort. His comment about "slant eyes" was back in the 1950s.

 

[selrahc4]

Prince Phillip was quite loose with his comments early in his "career" as Prince Consort. His comment about "slant eyes" was back in the 1950s.

Do you have a source for the 1950s comment, and what was the full comment? Thanks.

I know the "slitty eyes" one was in 1986 in China.

 

[LaPlusBelle]

Could I know, if that's OK with you, what adjective you use to qualify the trademark shape of Asian eyes?
And to people who have English as first language, is slitty a derogatory term?

At home, I call them "Ya zhou yan" or "Asian eyes". I would find offense to slitty, but it all depends on the context. I think we're all taking the 1986 comment a bit too far. He made a joke, and it was meant to be private, and that's that.

 

[crisiñaki]

At home, I call them "Ya zhou yan" or "Asian eyes". I would find offense to slitty, but it all depends on the context. I think we're all taking the 1986 comment a bit too far. He made a joke, and it was meant to be private, and that's that.

The point is that he must be very careful WHERE he says his jokes otherwise tabloids would have a field day with him and by extension with the RF

 

[Idriel]

Philip strikes again

The Divine Duke's latest classic, fresh from the 21st of this month (thanks to the Royalist)

[FONT=trebuchet,trebuchet ms]

Prince Philip sounds to have been on fine form. According to Amanda Platell, the Queen's husband struck up conversation with the husband of brave Australian Gill Hicks, who tragically lost both legs due to horrific injuries sustained in the London terror attacks of July 7th.

"You're not Australian!", barked Philip to Gill's husband, Joe Kerr.

"No, actually I’m not important. I’m just here because of my wife" replied Joe.

To which Philip — as quick witted as ever, despite being almost 85 — responded: "Tell me about it", laughing and giving Joe a wink before walking away.

[/FONT]

 

[Elspeth]

That sounds familiar; I think the joke where he commiserates with someone who's just along to accompany his wife is a fairly well-used part of the repertoire.

 

[Idriel]

That sounds familiar; I think the joke where he commiserates with someone who's just along to accompany his wife is a fairly well-used part of the repertoire.

Yes, but it is always the most popular numbers who get the 'Encore!'.

 

[Margrethe II]

The Divine Duke's latest classic, fresh from the 21st of this month (thanks to the Royalist)

Prince Philip sounds to have been on fine form. According to Amanda Platell, the Queen's husband struck up conversation with the husband of brave Australian Gill Hicks, who tragically lost both legs due to horrific injuries sustained in the London terror attacks of July 7th.

"You're not Australian!", barked Philip to Gill's husband, Joe Kerr.

"No, actually I’m not important. I’m just here because of my wife" replied Joe.

To which Philip — as quick witted as ever, despite being almost 85 — responded: "Tell me about it", laughing and giving Joe a wink before walking away.

How funny


"MII"

 

[Royal Fan]

lol that is pretty Hilarous!!!!!!

 

[foiegrass]

I was reading his wit, and its actually quite humorous in a rather high class sort of manner. I hope to hear more! HAHAHA, COS ITS REALLY FUNNY. I'm Chinese, and I don't really find any offence in the slitty eyed comment because MOST chinese have slitty eyes. Haha, very cute. GO PRINCE PHILLIP!

 

[britty1]

This thread was very amusing!! I think some things the Prince said were a rude, but I found most amusing. Slitty in America isn't used as a derogatory word. Where I come from (Hawaii) it's a place of diversity, so I respect people of a different race. It would be nice if other people had the same view. I think ( like the other people on the thread) that some of what he said was really humorous and others not so but he should respect them either way because he's a public figure. And like the very famous saying goes. What goes around comes around!!

gosh I'm blabbering!!

 

[ysbel]

Slitty in America isn't used as a derogatory word.

Some places in America it is.

It depends on the context. I trained a new salesperson who got terribly offended that a fellow trainer referred to him as Jose. His name was Julio.

I told him I would have much rather preferred Jose than Julie-oh and he disagreed. He said that Julie-oh was just an Americanization of a foreign name but calling him Jose meant my fellow trainer just saw him as another Mexican guy and he took offense to that. I know she's a nice woman but she didn't come across as that right at that moment.

Its interesting what people get offended by.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Bear in mind "context". The things Philip has said really aren't that outrageous for a man of his generation and I've heard far worse from people of his age.

 

[Oppie]

Going way way back to the begining of the thread about the cabbage comment. I think the story was they were at a school for the deaf and Prince Philip called the Queen cabbage not realizing that the students could read lips.

 

[lady_windsor]

My favourite one is when he says "We don't come here for our health. We can think of other ways of enjoying ourselves." He is such a funny character although some of the things he says seems a bit rude. I would imagine that he has had classes on how to behave in public, yet one of the main reasons i like the prince is i enjoy reading about his witty comments.

 

[Magpie8907]

Personally, I think he is really charming. He reminds me of my grandfather, or Frank from Everybody Loves Raymond. I don't think that HRH means to be racist, he's just from a generation where people were much less sensitive to it, and its hard for any older person to change or keep up with "the times", whether they're royal or not. My favorite quote of his is "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?". So true.

 

[Queen Marie]

Well, his comments are sometimes abrasive, sometimes plain cruel and politically incorrect by today's standards, but the man is very amusing.

Agreed!

I read somewhere that he once said of Princess Anne: "If it doesn't have four legs and eat hay, she doesn't like it!"