The Duke of Edinburgh has once again shown an aversion to modern politically correct ways when he asked a disabled man on a mobility scooter if he had run anyone over recently.
Ninety-year-old Prince Philip was in Redbridge taking part in the Queen’s diamond jubilee UK tour when he approached 60-year-old well-wisher David Miller, who was on a four-wheeled mobility scooter.
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With his usual brusque charm, the Queen’s consort pointed to the scooter and asked: “How many people have you knocked over this morning on that thing?”
No offence was taken as the man and those around him burst out laughing, reports the UK’s Daily Mail.
“That is just typical from the Duke,” said Mr Miller, who has trouble walking because of a spinal problem, after the royal had passed.
“He is renowned for his humour but no offence was taken; it was all in good humour. I told him no, your Royal Highness, I had not knocked anyone down.”
The royal party received a warm welcome from hundreds of flag-waving school kids as they toured the North London suburb yesterday as part of the national tour to celebrate the Queen’s sixty years on the British throne.
This isn’t the first time Prince Philip has made headlines with an off-the-cuff comment. Here are some of the Duke of Edinburgh’s more famous gaffes:
1981 During a recession the prince said: “Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed.”
1995 Speaking to a Scottish driving instructor he wondered: “How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?”
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1996 After the Dunblane massacre, at which 16 children and one adult were killed by a gunman, the duke said: “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?”
1998 Speaking to a British student backpacking in Papua New Guinea, he asked: “You managed not to get eaten then?”
2002 Chatting with Indigenous Australians on a visit to the country, he asked: “Do you still throw spears at each other?”
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