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Prince Philip displayed his waspish humour today when he asked two men on mobility scooters: "how many people have you knocked over this morning on that thing?"

The Duke of Edinburgh, 90, showed he was back on form after his recent health problems when he joked on a Diamond Jubilee visit with the Queen to Redbridge in London.

60-year-old David Miller, and those standing around him in the crowd, who had all been patiently waiting to see the royals, erupted in laughter when the Duke made the quip.

Mr Miller, who has difficulties walking, due to a spinal problem, said after Philip had moved on: "That is just typical from the Duke.

"He is renowned for his humour but no offence was taken, it was all in good humour.

"I told him no, your Royal Highness, I had not knocked anyone down."

Later it emerged that the Duke made the same joke when he met the Mayor of Waltham Forest, Geoff Walker, before lunch.

Footage of Philip's arrival appears to show him saying "Have you run over anybody?" when introduced to the local dignitary, who uses a scooter to get about.

The Chingford councillor is thought to have been born with cerebral palsy, which affected his lower body.

His mobility was seriously hampered as his tendons were too short and he could not straighten his legs and underwent operations to help him walk.

A Waltham Forest Council spokesman confirmed the comments and said they had been taken in "good humour" by the mayor.

The Queen herself was smiling herself when she asked 14-year-old Alex Rose if he had a day off school.

When he said he did, she asked: "Why are you wearing your school uniform?"

The teenager made her laugh when he said: "I managed to get the day off because I told them I would wear my uniform."

(Image: PA)

(Image: Getty)

The royal couple received a rapturous welcome from thousands of cheering residents on their visit to the park and grounds of Redbridge's Valentine Mansion.

London mayor Boris Johnson also joined the crowds for the first of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee walkabouts in London.

On display for the royal couple in the 17th-century hall was a portrait by Lucian Freud of his mother, a striking image of a man shouting or screaming from 1952 by Francis Bacon, called Head of a Man, and a David Hockney piece titled A Walk Around the Hotel Courtyard, Acatlan.

In the grounds was a contemporary artwork by Damien Hirst - a Mini covered in coloured spots - and nearby was a marquee containing design classics like a Dyson cleaner and even a preserved plastic bag celebrating the Queen's 1977 Silver Jubilee.

In the grounds of the building, heraldic beasts replicating some of those that formed a guard of honour outside Westminster Abbey at the Queen's coronation were sited.

But these had been created from used lager cans cut up into small pieces.

Before leaving, the Queen opened Valentines Diamond Jubilee Dry Garden - laid with plants that need little watering - surrounded by cheering crowds.

As she stepped into her chauffeur-driven limousine, another stylish mode of transport was parked nearby - a red Routemaster bus.

The Queen and the Duke then travelled on to the London boroughs of Waltham Forest and Harrow for more events marking her Jubilee.

(Image: PA)

(Image: PA)

Prince Philip's top ten gaffes and gags

1 "You can't have been here that long - you haven't got a pot belly". Comments to a Briton the Prince met in Hungary in 1993.

2 "Everybody was saying we must have more leisure. Now they are complaining they are unemployed." Phil gets to the heart of the matter when discussing the 1981 recession.

3 “You are a woman, aren't you?" Philip to a Kenyan dancer during a State visit.

4 "Well, you'll never fly in it, you're too fat to be an astronaut." A 13-year-old boy's life-long dreams of space exploration are dashed.

5 "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test." The Duke quizzes a Scottish driving instructor.

6 "It looks as though it was put in by an Indian." The Prince gives his verdict on a less-than-sophisticated fuse box spotted during a tour of an electronics firm.

7 Speaking to British exchange students during a 1996 tour of Beijing: "If you stay here much longer you'll all be slitty-eyed."

8 "You look as if you're ready for the bed." Philip’s greeting for the Nigerian secretary-general of the Commonwealth, who has dressed up in his ceremonial robes for a state dinner.

9 It's a pleasure to be in a country that isn't ruled by its people." The Prince meets the then Paraguayan dictator General Stroessner:

10 "Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf." Phil dishes out some sound advice to a group from the British Deaf Association who were standing near a band.

Want more than 10? Here is our rundown of 90 Prince Philip quotes.