Prince Philip got more than he bargained for when he visited the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards yesterday, when one soldier, unaware he was in the company of the Duke of Edinburgh, let rip with a string of expletives.
Coming off the pitch from a game of soccer between corporals and guardsmen, the substituted soldier was doubled up in pain and reportedly displayed breath-taking originality in the lexicon of swear words he used to describe his agony.
Prince Philip, standing just five metres away talking to a group of sergeants on the touchline, asked the man “Are you all right?”
“No, I’m f*****,” came the reply from the soldier who was still bent double with his head down.
The Duke of Edinburgh laughs with soldiers.
Perhaps thanks to his own experiences of putting his foot in it, the 92-year-old found it hilarious.
He continued to chuckle as the soldier looked up, realised who he was speaking to and walked off looking slightly sheepish.
Prince Philip and the soldiers
Prince Philip is used to language fit for barracks after a career in the Royal Navy. He has been Colonel of the Grenadier Guards since 1975.
