Cape Town - It seems Prince Philip (97) has a golden rule when it comes to his guests.
According to Mirror UK, the Duke of Edinburgh has an unusual request when it comes to sharing a meal with him.
"When Prince Philip gives a private dinner, he likes to decide the subject for conversation," writes royal author Brian Hoey in his book Not in Front of the Corgis.
The royal allegedly steers the conversation and expects everyone to participate otherwise he can become less than pleasant, Inquisitr.com reports.
The author says one guest didn’t know about the duke’s unwritten rule and found herself in hot water as she was unable to contribute to the dinner talk.
"If guests are not quite as knowledgeable as they should be, the prince can become very touchy – but if someone is more expert than him it can just as easily ruin the occasion," Hoey adds.
The royal author says in order to save yourself any embarrassment if you’re invited to one of these dinners is to contact the duke’s office beforehand and find out his preferred topics of discussion.
"Learn just enough to be able to contribute intelligently, but not to upstage the host," Hoey suggests.
Sources: Mirror UK, inquisitr.com, Express