I cannot imagine that in this world, most people would ask the question.
But, the privleged classes in the world never bother with contemplating the more mundane things in life. Rememember When President George Bush went to a grocery and was amazed to see the electronic scanners at the cashier counters? He probably hadn’t been in a grocery store for decades.
The way that royal life works is simple. There is a cadre of men that work for the Queen and her family, telling them what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. I’m sure in the beginning, everyone is grateful for this type of instruction. With time, it all becomes second nature.
Of course the prince had a limited understanding about this subject. The fact that he asked it may be in poor taste.
And yet, his mother-in-law, the Queen Mother, dispensed with all protocal in her life. She said and did things that no other Royal would do. She felt she had earned the position and no one would ever question her, the Queen.
Yours is a more thoughtful take on the issue than I have been able to muster. I was just miffed at the implication that Americans weren’t couth enough to be in the Queen’s presence without extensive coaching in manners. Thank you for helping me see beyond that ...
Why not? It is obviously a problem that needs to be solved and that might be difficult to solve, but NASA has always kept quiet about what the solutions are, so people are curious. They're curious but they are afraid to ask about it. Prince Philip isn't. Why does it have to be such a big secret? One doesn't necessarily have to be uncouth to describe the solution. Although the Duke of Edinburgh may not be the brightest bulb, I don't think his asking this particular question provides evidence of a lack of intelligence or propriety.
BTW I once saw Prince Philip quite close up at exactly the place you would expect, a polo game.