Blundering Prince Philip stunned Hollywood star Cate Blanchett when he took her for a film technician - and asked her how to fix his DVD player.

The gaffe-prone duke's mistake was doubly embarrassing because Cate, 38, has twice played the Queen's ancestor Elizabeth I.

Cate had introduced herself to 86-year-old Philip as working "in the film industry".

A courtier said later: "The prince began discussing his DVD player, which he said was broken. He said, 'There's a cord sticking out of the back. Might you tell me where it goes?'"

After Cate told Philip that she was an actress "he seemed a bit non-plussed".

Last night, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said: "We do not comment on private conversations. The Duke of Edinburgh meets so many people on engagements. These are often film stars."

Stewart.Maclean@Mirror.Co.Uk