The Duke of Edinburgh met the "Kate Moss of the gorilla world" today on a Royal visit to London Zoo.

Opening the zoo's £5 million “Gorilla Kingdom”, the Prince came face to face with Effie, a svelte 14-year-old female brought in to entice Bobby, the resident male, to mate.

The new habitat – which keepers hope will encourage a spot of romance – ditches conventional cages and bars for the environs of a steamy African rainforest and has been dubbed “Love Island”.

As the Prince greeted a line-up of zookeepers, he quipped: “They look like humans.”

He heard how older female gorilla, Zaire, is jealous of newcomer Effie.

Keeper Tracey Lee said: “[The Prince] was wondering about Zaire. We’ve got Effie now and she’s so slim and attractive. Zaire is 33. She’s got a bit of a swollen belly and a few teeth missing. She’s got the hump now.

“Effie’s playing it cool. She’s so beautiful. We call her the Kate Moss of the gorilla kingdom.”

Effie looked on unimpressed as the royal entourage watched her preen in the branches of a tree in the zoo’s indoor gorilla gym.

But when the Prince gave a speech, she clambered right up to the enclosure’s glass, intrigued by the goings-on.

Later, the Prince watched twenty three year-old Bobby, who seemed more interested in the banana skin he was chomping than the visiting HRH.

The Western Lowland Silverback has been equally impervious to the attentions of eye candy Effie, who was flown in earlier this month from Leipzig Zoo.

Ms Lee said: “He’s a bit bemused by it all. He’s got two women after him and he’s feeling the pressure – very different from a human man.”

Keepers have been speaking to the spurned Effie in German to help her settle in.

Daniel Simmonds, of London Zoo, said: “I say things in German like ‘Effie you’re so cute’ and ‘Was ist das?’. It’s small pep talk.

“They’re not cats and dogs. They’re very intelligent animals. It may seem silly but it’s very important.”

Sir Patrick Bateson, president of the Zoological Society of London, which operates the zoo, told guests including the Prince and Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London: “This is one of the great new attractions of London Zoo.

“We think it will return London to one of the great zoos of the world.”

There are mist-making machines, caves, heated rocks and waterfalls in the gorillas' 6,500 square metre new enclosure, as well as an indoor day gym with trees and rocks.

Last week, it emerged that inspectors have warned that dangerous animals – including gorillas – could escape from the zoo unless security is improved.

Fortunately for the Prince, the tigers, lions and gorillas stayed put today.

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