Duke of Edinburgh

delboy

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A topical Vincent story.
Some years ago, Andy Everett attended an Engineering exhibition and was on a stand with a couple of Vincent Twins.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were due to pass by the stand, which they duly did. "She's tiny" thinks Andy. "Him not so".
The Duke was known to have an interest in Engineering. At that moment, the Duke paused at the stand with his flunky behind.
The Duke looks for a minute, and the flunky says "Built by Engineers, Sir".
The Duke comes straight back with "I didn't think they were bloody potters".
Andy tried his best to stifle the laugh, and off they walked.
Regards,
Delboy.
 

timetraveller

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Well, if we are going to be telling 'Philip stories' here is one. When I was a very young astronomer, probably about 19 or 20, I worked in the Time Department of the Royal Greenwich Observatory at Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex. This was where the Greenwich Time Signals came from. On one occasion an official visit was organised for Philip and his entourage to come down from London, about sixty miles distance. The time service was run on an international basis with many countries transmitting and receiving each others time signals by radio so we had some fairly fancy radio receivers. Some bright spark knew the police car radio frequency and set up the system to listen to the police as they monitored the road traffic on the way down. Somewhere, not far south of London, the royal entourage was moving so quickly that Mr Plod lost them for a considerable length of time. Eventually, after a very short time, the two royal cars arrived, one an Aston Martin and the other one of those very large Austins (?Sheerline) with sharp edges that had a look of a Rolls Royce about it. What was under the bonnet of that car I have no idea but it could not have been a standard bit of kit.
Perhaps the biggest surprise to all of us was that Phillip was wearing make up, lipstick and rouge, presumably having been so advised by the royal hangers on that such was required for either television of newspaper shots. Not many years later I was on the 'tele' discussing some of the astronomical discoveries I had made and there was no suggestion of make up, although as I recall they did comb my hair. The rest might have been beyond hope.
If it was Philip's advisors who were responsible for the make up advice then it just shows why the royals who rely on these people can get into trouble.
 
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ClassicBiker

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From Merriam-Webster dictionary
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Albervin

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Well, if we are going to be telling 'Philip stories' here is one. When I was a very young astronomer, probably about 19 or 20, I worked in the Time Department of the Royal Greenwich Observatory at Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex. This was where the Greenwich Time Signals came from. On one occasion an official visit was organised for Philip and his entourage to come down from London, about sixty miles distance. The time service was run on an international basis with many countries transmitting and receiving each others time signals by radio so we had some fairly fancy radio receivers. Some bright spark knew the police car radio frequency and set up the system to listen to the police as they monitored the road traffic on the way down. Somewhere, not far south of London, the royal entourage was moving so quickly that Mr Plod lost them for a considerable length of time. Eventually, after a very short time, the two royal cars arrived, one an Aston Martin and the other one of those very large Austins (?Sheeline) with sharp edges that had a look of a Rolls Royce about it. What was under the bonnet of that car I have no idea but it could not have been a standard bit of kit.
Perhaps the biggest surprise to all of us was that Phillip was wearing make up, lipstick and rouge, presumably having been so advised by the royal hangers on that such was required for either television of newspaper shots. Not many years later I was on the 'tele' discussing some of the astronomical discoveries I had made and there was no suggestion of make up, although as I recall they did comb my hair. The rest might have been beyond hope.
If it was Philip's advisors who were responsible for the make up advice then it just shows why the royals who rely on these people can get into trouble.
TT. When I was a young lad (1959-1960) I would have to write a sort of "show and tell" every Monday in class. I wrote that my mother went out with a man who wore make-up to do a show in a theatre. My teacher was horrified and notified the headmistress who called in my parents. It was a puppet show that appeared on TV and I think there were laughs all round.
On topic. I never "met" Prince Philip but I did observe him and his wife from afar. However I did "meet" his mother-in-law and she was absolutely delightful and totally pissed.
 

Canadiancomet

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As a Canadian there was little opportunity to see the Queen...BUT here is my Duke story...In 1970 my friend and I were the duty Pipers when the Queen and Prince Philip visited Manitoba for it's Centennial in 1970..We piped them off their helicopter while touring...are you ready for this...Churchill Manitoba,,(the Polar Bear Capital of the World)..I had never been that far North and we represented the youth of our Province...I was 16 years old and prince Phillip came up to me and asked me, "where do you boys get the wind to blow those things." I have often told my wife I was dumbfounded as the Queen of England was only 5 feet away. I am still unsure of what I answered the Duke to this day...BUT, it was a highlight of my life...until I rode my first Vincent ..Cheers Ross Metcalfe
 
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