Throughout the week last week, members of the British royal family were doing commemorative events to honor the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. The above photo is from a balcony appearance that some senior royal family members did on Friday to commemorate the anniversary – you can see Prince Philip, the Queen, the Duke of York, Prince William, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex. No Charles, no Anne, no Duchess of Cambridge.
The history of the Battle of Britain is remarkable, and one of the best examples for why we refer to that generation as The Greatest Generation. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, is of that generation. He was in the Royal Navy during World War II and he was extraordinarily dashing. The Queen – then merely a princess – fell in love with him when she was but a teenage girl. At 94, Philip is one of the few remaining veterans of WWII. He’s still pretty spry and he still gets around pretty well, although he has been hospitalized a few times in the past few years. Part of me is sad that he still gets propped up for these occasions, but it would be wrong to say that he’s “out of it.” He’s still sharp as a tack. He’ll still bitch out a commoner like no one’s business. During a photocall in London on Friday, Prince Philip bitched out a photographer trying to make some kind of arrangements for a formal portrait. Philip can clearly be seen (and heard) to say “Just take it… Just take the f—king picture.”
I kind of think this is fine. In his younger days, Philip annoyed, offended and insulted SO MANY PEOPLE, but this seems understandable. Taking a few quick photos shouldn’t be this huge production. It’s not the Sistine Chapel. Philip has a long history of saying much more offensive things to many, many people. I don’t even think William looked all that embarrassed either – it looked like William thought his grandfather was kind of funny. Besides, I’m sure William has dropped many f-bombs on photographers, staff members and commoners too.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.
He’s 94. He has no f*cks left to give, and I’m okay with that.
totally agree. At that age, go for it!
Exactly. And the guys they were honoring fought in WWII. Have heard, seen and said worse and probably agreed with him. “Get on with it and let’s go have a pint!!”
My grandfather always stood by the ‘You can use any words you want in war. Grandkids – did you go to war? No? You can’t use them’ mindset haha.
The Queen’s hat looks like something out of Dr. Seuss and she looks fabulous in it.
yes, im having a love affair with this hat even though id look stupid in it
I love him… just like my gramos does not give and f~C#
Love him – he’s 94 and allowed to be a crusty old bugger who embarrasses his children and grandchildren. He’s never suffered fools and tells it as it is but has on occasion lacked a little tact.
The Duke is like his wife – a strong sense of duty and he will continue to have a public life until he drops. And TBH he enjoys it, particularly events like this thou am sure there are other events that he could do without.
Using racist slurs is not “on occasion lacked a little bit of tact”.
I really don’t think he is racist. He is of a generation of british people from a very specific social class who have a very particular type of humour where they say rude, crass things, but aren’t actually racist or genuinely rude.
It’s a sort of PG Wodehouse mentality where within their own group they will say something like that slitty eyed comment to lots of gawfaws and laughter, but don’t always think that other people outside their circle won’t find it funny and or that it will offend them.
It’s like the crass “joke” William made about the tube strike.
I agree, Lena. He is and always has been an entitled, arrogant s.o.b.
Yes, he’s a ghastly human being. Just do a google search. Old age doesn’t excuse him. I could care less about the swearing, it’s the racism, sexism and talking down to other people that make him a horrid person.
I completely agree with you and am aghast at the “old boys will be old boys” defenders here.
Ahead of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s last trip to Canada, the newspapers here published a list of some of Prince Philip’s “candid” comments over the years. The sheer scope of Prince Philip’s not-giving-a-f*ck-ness was truly amazing. On travelling to Canada he told some Canadians, “We don’t come here for our health”. Although some people are amused, I doubt anyone on the receiving end of some of his so-called gaffes are laughing.
Although it’s a bit dodgy – I don’t care about swearing but I do care about power imbalances and abusing the peasants because they’re not timely enough for you – I have to concede that Mr Sixer Senior is at the point where he does this type of thing and everyone just sniggers because – well, he’s earned it over a lifetime of being a good egg.
Re: the Blitz. The Dead End Kids were a group of East End teenagers who operated as back-up firefighters, putting out the small fires caused by incendiaries that the London Fire Service couldn’t prioritise. They did this with buckets of sand, hand pumps, and old prams (probably not Silver Cross!) They even pulled unexploded bombs into the Thames to make them safe. Two of them were killed. It’s always the pilots who get remembered, but these were just a bunch of kids from a deprived area. So I think we should remember them. Here’s a contemporary news report about them:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19410622&id=4pohAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aJgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3834,5122052&hl=en
thank you for sharing that Sixer!
Thanks, Sixer. Those kids should never be forgotten.
As a WWII buff, I love stories like this. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Sixer; interesting read.
I just love William’s face in the vid!
Me Too.
My father-in-law, about the same age and also a vet, dropped an f-bomb recently and it was all my kids could do not to giggle. Unfortunately he’s no longer sharp as a tack–Phillip is lucky. So many people that age have some sort of dementia.
They would love seeing the Spitfires and Hurricanes coming down the Mall…also on the balcony were the Queen’s cousins ..sons of her 2 uncles ..the Kents whose father was killed in the war in an air crash and the Duke if Gloucester whose father survived the war and served in the army,,but his older brother died in a plane crash too…
What I don’t understand is how Edward who failed to finish in the Marines is allowed and accepted to wear uniform..Andrew yes ,he did serve in the Navy ..but not Edward…it makes me so uncomfortable that he can play dress up…
Old Phil personifies the curmudgeon. And I love that. Imagine being so old you have zero fucks to give? As a chronic people pleaser I dream of being like Phil.
I think it’s funny!
Such a curmudgeon! http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/prince-philip-turns-93-cringe-3667124
Theres strong rumours that he is a psychopath with wandering hands. This doesnt do much to quell the former.
I guess that I’m in the minority here, but I didn’t think this was ok- I’m not bothered by swearing, but by the fact that it was ok for Philip to say this to the photographer, but could you imagine if the photographer replied in kind? The photographer wouldn’t be permitted to speak to Philip like that, so I think it is just common courtesy that Philip not speak to him that way.
Exactly. You get it.
It’s not so much as cursing, it’s the fact that he directed it towards someone who was just trying to do their job. He comes across as a rude old arrogant b@st@rd. And that is during a PUBLIC event. I can only imagine the stuff he says to staff in the privacy of their home. No wonder The Cambridges limit their interactions with him.
Agree, rude rude rude.
Totally agree. I don’t think this is a “cute” thing for an old person to say. That was an employee who is a paid professional, and should be treated as such. Telling someone to hurry up and swearing at them in the process? Not ok.
Yeah, the DOE can do whatever the hell he wants.
What a nasty piece of sh-t.
See what I did there? Anyway, I stand by it.
I will never understand why its a problem to say that f word clearly or just write it clearly, you also dont write it clearly, why? America has the biggest porn industry in the world, people use this word everyday, its not even that bad as a word. To nonamericans it always seems ridiculous and weird.
Age should never excuse being an ass. Btching out a comoner isn’t cute or admiral. If the public can proclaim younger royals as being “too old” for fill-in-blank behaviour, then surely Philip, at his age, should know how to conduct himself professionally, especially with the role he plays in that family. At the very least he could show common courtesy to people, regardless, when they are trying to do their jobs. The excuses some make for his behavior is appalling yet pure hatred (by some) is aimed at other royals the likes of The Cambridges, CP Mary, Prince Carl and Princess Sofia and non-royals like The Middletons, Chelsy and Cressida.
He’s a perfect example of where not caring about public opinion goes wrong. Hes a mess. The one I dislike the most.
I don’t mind at all that he said that. He’s always different and I’m sure the Queen doesn’t mind. She’s heard it all before. I just smiled watching the clip.