Prince Philip is no stranger to the art of the gaffe (see 10 of his worst here), and sure enough he is again making headlines in Britain for a blunder, this time involving a blind army cadet.
The incident happened seven years ago at a tree planting event in Hyde Park, and involved a then 15-year-old army cadet who was blinded in an IRA bombing. The boy, Stephen Menary, had been asked by the Queen how much sight he had left, to which Prince Philip responded, "Not a lot, judging by the tie he's wearing."
While Prince Philip committed the gaffe years ago, it was only just now revealed by the cadet's mother during an appearance on the BBC.
"I was gobsmacked," Menary's mom said, according to the Daily Mail. "Maybe it was a joke to put us at ease, but it was the wrong sort of joke."
As for the Queen's response, the Telegraph reports that Menary's mom had the following to say: "After he said it there was just stunned silence. The Queen just looked at him open mouthed. I don't think she could believe what he had said."
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