The Prince & the Press

To the cheering crowds in India, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has appeared every inch the genial aristocrat, exactly the sort of nobleman to be married to Britain's gracious Queen Elizabeth. But to the newsmen and photographers scrambling to cover his world-girdling tour of the British Commonwealth, Prince Philip was a relentless foeman.

The newsmen got no official help in keeping up with the duke. Though the prince is traveling by private jet plane, propeller transport and yacht, no British reporter--not even one who is accredited to Buckingham Palace--was allowed aboard. Following as best they might, the newsmen could expect only rudeness or a quarterdeck tongue-lashing when they got close. The duke has been especially testy about the swarms of Indian photographers. At New Delhi he asked irritably, "Who are all these people?", and turned to Prime Minister Nehru to remark cuttingly: "I thought there was a film shortage in your country." At the Taj Mahal, begged for one more picture, Prince Philip consented but snapped: "Get on with your business and stop talking." At the

Lahore Horse Show, a Pakistani photographer climbed a pole to get a better shot of the duke, lost his grip and fell over backward. Said Prince Philip, quite audibly: "I hope to God he breaks his neck."

Indian and Pakistani newsmen, who had read of Philip's informality and friendliness, were startled by his repeated rudeness. But it was an old story to British reporters, who still recall the duke's 1957 visit to Gibraltar, famed for its cave dwelling monkeys. On meeting the reception committee, Prince Philip asked in a clear voice: "Which are the press and which are the apes?" Even one of Britain's stoutly Tory editors conceded that "there's no doubt the duke's a bit Teutonic. In effect, he tells the reporters to bugger off."

The war of prince and press, which is kept from British readers, apparently dates back to 1954 when the sensational London Sunday Pictorial ran a spicy series by the duke's ex-valet. It was aggravated this year when the Pictorial had to be stopped by court order (obtained by the royal family) from completing an intimate series by the ex-superintendent of the Queen's weekend home, Windsor Castle. Many Fleet Street newspapermen, without blaming the royal family for irritation at peephole journalists, nonetheless blame Buckingham Palace for doing nothing to encourage legitimate coverage. Any royal tour is bound to have press coverage, and since the primary object is to get good public relations for Britain, newsmen argue it should be covered widely and well. But there is not an experienced newsman or public relations officer on the royal staff, and the exasperated Prince Philip is left almost entirely on his own, with unhappy results.

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