Duke of Edinburgh’s top 10 most spectacular gaffes

Prince Philip has his foot in it again, it seems. The Duke of Edinburgh was visiting Bromley in Kent during the Diamond Jubilee Tour when he spotted 25-year-old Hannah Jackson wearing a daring red dress.

Apparently the Duke, now 90, took one look at Ms Jackson and told a policeman standing next to him: "I would get arrested if I unzipped that dress." It’s just the latest in a colourful line of off-the-cuff comments from the Duke.

Here are what Yahoo! News considers to be his top 10 most spectacular gaffes.

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 with 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."

[Related link: Young royals join Queen's pageant]


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?"

10. His latest gag suggests he still has an eye for the ladies. It’s definitely another to add to his portfolio.