WELL-WISHERS marked the Queen’s 80th birthday with outpourings of respect. The Duke of Edinburgh, by contrast, is to be faced with a book documenting 60 years of gaffes.

In the absence of formal celebrations for his 85th birthday, the most public tribute may turn out to be the book Duke of Hazard: The Wit and Wisdom of Prince Philip.

It gives an impression of a sharp-tongued consort, oblivious to the impact of his words as children burst into tears, foreigners fume at his apparent xenophobia and businessmen reel at his habit of speaking his mind. Many, though, admire his frankness in an age dominated by political correctness.

News of the book’s publication stung his private office into a rare public defence of Prince Philip, who, until now, has appeared to care little about the effect of his pronouncements.

Sir Miles Hunt-Davis, Philip’s private secretary, said: “My predecessor worked here for 30 years and I have worked with the Duke of Edinburgh for 15 years. If he had been as acerbic as presented [in the book], he wouldn’t have kept the staff that he has.

“Even secretaries returned to his office after their families had grown up. These extracts are not indicative of the man as a whole.”

Philip, born in Corfu in 1921, had a distinguished war in the Royal Navy, and the public took to him. But, from the start of his relationship with the then Princess Elizabeth, courtiers worried about his inability to keep his thoughts to himself.

They appeared vindicated by his behaviour at the independence ceremony for Kenya in 1963 when he represented the Queen. Just before midnight, when the Union Jack was about to be hauled down, Philip turned to Jomo Kenyatta, the new leader, and asked: “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Questioned afterwards in Britain, the prince revealed: “Kenyatta grinned all over his face and said, ‘No!’” He appears to find it irresistible to test the limits of tolerance on questions of race and disability. His comments about “slitty-eyed” Chinese, pot-bellied Hungarians and pyjama-wearing Nigerians have become notorious.

The book recounts more obscure gaffes. At a festival in Cardiff he was introduced to a group of youngsters from the British Deaf Association who were standing near a noisy Caribbean-style band. He commented: “Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf.”

This weekend he again put his foot in it, saying he would do “as little as possible” at the London Olympics in 2012. “Opening and closing ceremonies ought to be banned,” he said. “Absolute bloody nuisances.”

Philip was yesterday pursuing a favourite sport, competing in the Hopetoun horse driving trials near Edinburgh. He was driving a team of four ponies owned by the Queen at speeds of up to 30mph. The duke has won titles in the past two years and is aiming for a third — last night he was leading his class of competitors.

Over the years, Philip’s wit has strayed into rudeness. When a Swedish tourist waved to Philip in his carriage and shouted proudly: “Good morning, sir, my little girl is six today!” he replied: “So what,” and she burst into tears.

Michael Mann, the former Dean of Windsor, who worked closely with the prince, defends Philip. “He has a very sharp mind,” Mann said. “He believes that by making a quip he can draw out the other person.”

Dorothy Rowe, a psychologist and author, is not so charitable. She believes the quips are driven by Philip’s frustration at his position as consort. “When people make hurtful statements passed off as a joke, they are getting rid of aggression, but deny responsibility for any hurt,” she said.

Hunt-Davis said Philip, who will be 85 on June 10, was about to plan his next six-month diary of engagements.

Wit and wisdom

If you see a man opening a car door for a woman, it means one of two things: it’s either a new woman or a new car!

Why do you have a stick if you’re in a wheelchair? — to man at a Buckingham Palace party

And what exotic part of the world do you come from? – to smiling black man at a Commonwealth party. (Lord Taylor of Warwick replied: ‘I’m from Birmingham’)

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