" I declare this thing openwhatever it is. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh"""Everyone makes remarks but many of them sink without a trace. Minor celebrities find their remarks slightly longer-lasting, while the truly famous have their remarks retainedfor better or for worsein books and on film. Providentially, the remarks of kings and queens can reveal not only something about royalty themselves but also the age in which they lived. What may have appeared controversial at the time can often now be seen as more reasonable in the jigsaw of history. The intriguing and often entertaining remarks in this book should be read with that in mind."