Posted on 10/27/2009 1:50:48 PM PDT by Steelfish
Duke of Edinburgh Jokes About Indians Named Patel
The Duke of Edinburgh has committed another gaffe after telling businessman Atul Patel "There's a lot of your family in tonight" during a reception for 400 British Indians at Buckingham Palace.
By Nick Collins 27 Oct 2009
The prince, 88, whose jokes have landed him in hot water in the past, was welcoming his guests at the event ahead of a state visit by Pratibha Patil, India's president, this week.
He made his remark after noticing Mr Patel's name tag as attendees lined up to meet the royal couple following their arrival at the palace.
A spokesman for Mr Patel confirmed the comment was made but said the 47-year-old chief executive of LHA-Asra group, one of Britain's foremost housing associations, had taken it in good humour.
He told The Sun: "Absolutely no offence was taken at all by Atul. It was taken in a very light-hearted way."
Patel is the second most common Indian surname after Singh, and is the 24th most popular in Britain with about 670,000 Patels living here.
Mrs Patil began her state visit to Britain by arriving in London last night. She will be officially welcomed by the Queen and Prince Philip today before a banquet tonight at Windsor Castle, where she will enjoy a two-night stay.
In 2000, Prince Philip attracted controversy when he said during a tour of a factory near Edinburgh that a fuse box was so crude it "looked as though it had been put in by an Indian".
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I beleive it was Calvin Trillin who said,
“How do you know if there is a good Indian resturant in a strange town you are visiting?
“Check the phone book - if there are more than 10 listings for ‘Patel’ there is one.
“How can you find the place?
“Ring one of them up and ask.”
Can we get him and Biden together on the same stage? A laugh riot.
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