Prince Phillip cracks a another classic at visit to hospital

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-ceremony.html

'The Philippines must be half-empty... you're all here running the NHS': Moment gaffe-prone Philip cracks another tasteless joke as he meets nurse

- Philip was visiting Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, Bedfordshire
- He made hospital worker from the Philippines laugh with his comment
- Hospital says: 'Staff greatly enjoyed the opportunity to meet the Duke.'

Royal quip: The Duke of Edinburgh told this Filipino nurse at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital her country must be 'half empty', because so many of her compatriots have come to the UK to work for the NHS

Prince Philip was back to his golden best with a glorious gaffe when he told a Filipino nurse her country must be 'half empty' because most of her compatriots appeared to be working in the UK.

The 91-year-old royal, who is renowned for his decidedly un-politically correct comments, made his close to the bone remark as he opened a new £5.5 million cardiac centre at Luton and Dunstable Hospital.

Encountering the unnamed female nurse the Queen's husband exclaimed: 'The Philippines must be half empty - you're all here running the NHS.'

'Do you still throw spears at each other?': The Duke of Edinburgh talks to Aboriginal performers after watching a culture show at Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Fortunately for the prince, the nurse appeared to take his comment in good humour and laughed, while a spokesperson for the hospital said his visit had been 'hugely motivational'.

The 91-year-old royal, who calls himself 'the world's most experienced curtain puller', was said to be in a 'jovial' mood during the engagement and asked when the hospital would get a helipad to save him a journey by car. He had apparently been keen to visit after undergoing heart surgery himself just over a year ago.

As he visited the new cardiac centre, the Duke was presented with a gold plated coronary arterial stent - similar to the one used during his own surgery.

‘Ah - a spare, just in case!, ’ the smiling Duke quipped, before attempting to perform the procedure himself using the equipment on the new wing.

Buckingham Palace said last night that it would not comment on a 'private conversation'.

Royal sources insisted, however, that the prince would never intend to cause offence and liked to make the odd joke 'to put people at ease'.

Wonderfully unpolitically correct and long may it continue.

[GommeInc]

He's old, he can get away with it. It would be hard to be offended by this particular comment as it can be seen as a compliment, while the spear comment could be considered a bit... odd, in an old man sort of way

[Inseriousity.]

I hope it was one of those genuine laughs and not one of those awkward-oh-god-get-me-away laughs but yeah it could be seen as a compliment so probably the former! I've laughed at a few of his gaffes though. It's more about how you say them which obviously a newspaper can't really get across that well!

[Chippiewill]

What Prince Phillip has achieved here is to brilliantly highlight when immigration goes right - Skilled workers allowed to come from abroad to do skilled jobs and making a positive contribution.

Wonderfully unpolitically correct and long may it continue.

Is that what we're calling casual racism nowadays? Whilst I have no issues with the humor it's poor form to use loaded terminology for the sake of argument.

[-:Undertaker:-]

What Prince Phillip has achieved here is to brilliantly highlight when immigration goes right - Skilled workers allowed to come from abroad to do skilled jobs and making a positive contribution.

That was my first thought aswell, agreed.

Is that what we're calling casual racism nowadays? Whilst I have no issues with the humor it's poor form to use loaded terminology for the sake of argument.

I fail to see the racism in the comment myself, and to be frank - I don't think jokes made at the expense of race are bad either, I think they can be hiliarious. I'm gay, I love gay jokes as i'm a big fan of blue humour. The jokes on left wing forums/newspaper comment boards about right wingers always make me laugh aswell as they play on the stererotype. A joke is a joke, people need to stop being so uptight and live a little.

[Zak]

Classic. No matter how many times he does it though no-ones going to say or do anything He is a Prince afterall and because of his age it's just funny