“It's better to get out before you reach the sell-by date.” — Prince Philip

Occasionally I get fed up, going to visit a factory, when I am being shown around by the chairman, who clearly hasn't got a clue, and I try to get hold of the factory manager, but I can't because the chairman wants to make sure he's the one in all the photographs.

I didn't want to be president of the World Wildlife Fund. I was asked to do it. I'd much rather have stayed in the navy, frankly.

You can't just decide you want to do this or that. You have to be invited.

If anything, I've thought of myself as Scandinavian. Particularly, Danish. We spoke English at home.