Prince philip has unlikely talent on holiday

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth have plenty of staff who work for them and attend to their needs. However, the Duke of Edinburgh enjoys one task so much he can often be found doing it

himself. Author Robert Hardman tells of Royal Family trips to Scotland when Prince Philip enjoyed this pastime. In 1955 the royals undertook a summer cruise on the Royal Yacht Britannia to

Scotland via the west coast of Britain. “The cruise was such a success that it quickly established the template for the next four decades,” wrote Hardman in his book Queen of the Word. “The

Royal family adored cruising the west coast of Britain. The main thing was being able to anywhere on a whim and go ashore with a minimum fuss.” Hardman continued: “Prince Philip, meanwhile,

would relish the prospect of setting up on his barbecue in the unlikeliest spots - and cooking anything that took his fancy. “‘He’d lead ashore with all the barbecue kit and the Queen would

come later with the salad supplies and all the side dishes,’ says Sir Robert Woodard [a former Commander of the Royal Yacht Britannia].” Prince Philip didn’t just stick to beef burgers and

pork sausages when cooking, however. Woodard recalled: “He’s a brilliant and very innovative cook. If you produced any strange animals out of the sea he’s prepare and cook it. You shouldn’t

be surprised if you ate an octopus.” On the first 1955 trip, young Prince Charles proved himself to be a rather cheeky child.  He was just six years old when the Royals took the trip on the

Royal Yacht Britannia. “The Prince could test the patience of some of the crew,” wrote Hardman in his book Queen of the World. “En route to the Isle of man, he kicked his football over the

side and asked his ‘Sea Daddy’ if he could get it back. “The request was passed up to Vice Admiral Abel Smith, who agreed it might be a useful exercise in seamanship to lower a boat to

retrieve it." However, Charles being the heir to the throne did not result in the child’s whims being pampered to. Hardman concluded that, as a result of his actions, Prince Charles

“never saw [the ball] again.” Many married couples heading off on holiday might enjoy the time to rekindle the romance. However, when Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth used to travel on the

Royal Yacht they would never sleep in the same cabin.  In fact, there were no double beds anywhere on the boat at all due to the Royals’ preferences.