THE gaffe-prone Duke of Edinburgh has stoked a new controversy by pointing at a man with a beard and asking “Is that a terrorist?”

The 96 year-old royal, who retired from public duties in 2017, is said to have made the comment while talking to Princess Anne as members of the family progressed to a New Year’s Eve service at St Mary Magdalene church, near the Queen’s Sandringham home.

According to one onlooker, Prince Philip spotted a tall man with a long ginger beard in the crowd, pointed at him and made the questionable remark.

“Philip was wishing lots of people a Happy New Year and then he spotted this guy with his distinctive beard,” the onlooker said.

“He pointed at him in a funny way and turned to one of his royal bodyguards, saying: “Is that a terrorist?”

“He was obviously having a little joke, but he said it within earshot of the man who burst out laughing and appeared to find the whole thing hilarious. I think Philip knew he was going to be overheard. I’m sure Philip didn’t mean any harm.”

The Queen was leading a procession which included his daughter, Anne, her husband Sir Timothy Laurence and Prince Edward. The Queen, dressed in green and back, arrived separately accompanied by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, in a maroon chauffeur-driven car.

The Duke has a history of making off colour comments in his career at the Queen’s side. He once said to Australian Aborigines during a visit to Australia: “Do you still throw spears at each other?” and on another occasion, while touring a factory Edinburgh said a fuse box was so crude it “looked as though it had been put in by an Indian”.

Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on the “joke”.