Prince Philip: Duke of Edinburgh has this unlikely talent when he travels

Prince Philip has led a very long life – the royal turned 99 this week. Over the years the Duke of Edinburgh has carried out much royal travel. In fact, he has undertaken 637 solo visits overseas since he left active military service in 1952.

His artistic leanings don’t stop there – he always enjoys photography, a penchant he shares with the Queen.

The Royal Collection Trust explains: “Prince Philip has formed an important collection of contemporary art, notably by British and Commonwealth artists.

“With The Queen, he purchased a notable selection of works by contemporary artists in 1960, to decorate a private suite of rooms at Windsor Castle.

“Barbara Hepworth, Mary Fedden, Sidney Nolan and Ivon Hitchens are among those represented in the collection, along with ceramics by the Austrian-born Lucie Rie.

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“Many works of art from around the world have been presented to the Queen and Prince Philip on their state visits and travels and so entered the Royal Collection in this way.

“A keen amateur artist himself, Prince Philip has also made record of landscapes seen on his worldwide travels.

“He is also an interested photographer.”

However, it’s not only art that Philip enjoys while on holiday.

In his younger days the royal, just like many fathers, liked to man the barbecue.

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 go 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’d prepare and cook it. You shouldn’t be surprised if you ate an octopus.”

source: express.co.uk