Prince Philip in belly-dancer insult gaffe

Prince Philip in belly-dancer insult gaffe

By Nick Allen
Last Updated: 2:14am GMT 08/03/2008

The Duke of Edinburgh has added to his growing list of gaffes after meeting a group of belly-dancers and saying: "I thought Eastern women just sit around smoking pipes and eating sweets all day".

His outburst stunned the dancers who had dressed up in full costume and tassels to greet the Duke and the Queen as they toured a school in south Wales.

One of the dancers, Beverly Richards, 47, said: "I replied that we do that as well, and he looked us over and said with a twinkle in his eye 'I can see that'.

Mrs Richards said: "We were not insulted. I think that it's great that he said it. He is very down-to-earth.

"To be honest it's an honour to be insulted by royalty. It is something to tell the grandchildren.

"When you're a belly-dancer, believe me, you have heard it all before. Some might say we are a little overweight, but we are certainly full of Eastern promise."
The Welsh belly-dancing group, known as the Suhayla Dancers, also included Rachael Barry, 45, Janet Chillcott, 49, and Alison Dugmore, 41, and had gathered at the Swansea's St Thomas Community Primary School for the royal visit.

It was the latest in a string of foot-in-mouth moments for the Duke which famously included his pronouncement that "British women can't cook".

In 1998 he told a student visitor to Papua New Guinea that he had done well not to be eaten and in 1984 he asked a Kenyan woman "You are a woman, aren't you?".

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