Andrew Bolt: Prince Philip had more class than his critics

Prince Philip was attacked for his rudeness and “racism”, but the way the Greens now jeer at his death tell us he was kinder than his critics.

Prince Philip was attacked for his rudeness and “racism”. But the way the Greens now jeer at his death tell us he was actually kinder than his critics.

Take Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe, who identifies as Aboriginal and gloated: “Beginning of the End for our Colonisers.” She also complained that the Aboriginal flag flown over Victoria’s parliament had been lowered to honour “our coloniser”.

Fellow Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi was no more civilised, tweeting she was “not going to pay tribute to a known racist” like Philip, “especially on the day we march to end First Nations deaths in custody at the hands of a racist colonial system”.

Here’s proof that the Greens are ignorant, racist, dishonest, vicious and pitiless.

Ignorant, because the Aboriginal flag was lowered not to honour a “coloniser” but because it must never be flown higher than the Australian flag, which was half-mast.

Senator Lidia Thorpe complained that the Aboriginal flag flown over Victoria’s parliament had been lowered to honour “our coloniser”.

Racist, because Philip colonised no one, and is accused only because he is a white man in the royal family of a country which once did. No whites today are “our colonisers”, an accusation that trades on the racist notion of race guilt.

Dishonest, because the “deaths in custody” cause is based on a deceit. Aboriginal prisoners are in fact less likely than white ones to die in jail.

Vicious, because Philip was not a racist. His allegedly most “racist” comment about Australia — as many media reports claim — was asking an Aboriginal dancer, Ivan Brim, who was brandishing a spear if he still threw it at enemies. Brim’s son William said his father replied “of course”, and it was “just two old fellas having a joke”.

Pitiless, because here are two race-obsessed Greens senators vilifying a much-mourned 99-year-old who gave more service to this country than both of them.

But their abuse does show how petty journalists were to document in pseudo-shocked tones Philip’s “gaffes” — often simply jokes to put some awed stranger at their ease.

Even at the weekend, the BBC was still at it, compiling a list of “gaffes” and warning readers: “You may find some of the quotes below offensive.”

Really? Its first example was Philip once asking members of the Royal British Legion in Wales: “Is everyone here called Jones?” Compare that joke to the deliberate venom of the Greens, and you’ll know who the truly offensive really are.