Members of royal families really aren't so different from the rest of us. They all have their quirks and peculiarities. The Duke of Edinburgh, more commonly known as Prince Philip and husband to England's Queen Elizabeth II, is said to hate racing so much that, when he attends Ascot, he keeps a radio in his top hat so he can listen to cricket matches. This interesting bit of royal gossip comes from the Sunday Express, which did not cite a source for the information.
Prince Philip does, however, have a well-documented reputation as a rather gruff, blunt individual. He has become known for his verbal quips, which range from hilarious to downright rude. For instance, when he found out Madonna would sing the Die Another Day movie theme in 2002, he said, "Are we going to need ear plugs?" A trip into the rude category came when he supposedly said to a female solicitor (attorney), "I thought it was against the law for a woman to solicit." Apparently, the Duke's self-filter doesn't function very well.
Some other quirks of the British royal family, according to the book We Are Amused: A Royal Miscellany by Brian Hoey:
- Queen Elizabeth II keeps Christmas decorations up until February.
- Prince Philip has a barber's chair at Buckingham Palace and his hairdresser visits once a week.
- Neither the Queen nor Prince Philip are interested in long church sermons. Clergy are therefore advised to keep their sermons to about 12 minutes.
