When Prince Philip Surprised British Troops In Iraq
In 2006, the Duke of Edinburgh made a surprise visit to Basra to meet British Army troops deployed there.
In October 2006, Prince Philip made a surprise visit to Iraq to visit British Army troops.
He spent time with personnel from The Queen's Royal Hussars (QRH) deployed in Basra, who at the time were nearing the end of a six-and-a-half month tour in the country.
At the time, the UK had around 7,000 troops in Iraq.
During his visit, the Duke gave praise to the soldiers he had met: "It's a great pleasure to see you here.
"Everyone at home has been following what has been going on in this part of the world with a great deal of sympathy for those of you at the sharp end, who are trying to do your best to make life civilised and tolerable for the locals.
"You have done a fantastic job, and I hope you all get home safely and have some well-earned leave."
Prince Philip was visiting as the regiment's Colonel-in-Chief, with the trip his first to British forces in Iraq.
The Duke of Edinburgh gave five promoted soldiers their new rank patches during the trip.
