Prince Philip ‘really could have been Bond,’ according to this A-list actress...

Just call him 007

Words - Simon Perry

Prince Philip is something of a Renaissance man – he’s a naval officer, sportsman (he still drives a horse carriage!), adventurer, painter and carries the honour of Duke of Edinburgh.

But British actress Joanna Lumley, 70, believes he could add another title to his name – that of iconic spy, James Bond.

The Absolutely Fabulous star opens up about the royal’s Bond ways in the upcoming documentary, When Philip Met Prince Philip: 60 Years of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which aired this week.

‘I think he’s just an extraordinary character – he rides, sails, drives horses, fishes, swims. He really could have been Bond and he was a naval commander as well like Commander Bond.’

But unlike Bond, Lumley reveals that the 95-year-old royal has a surprisingly bashful side.

‘He’s incredibly good fun to be with, but he is quite shy, and I think sometimes some huge events I’ve see him go, “Oh God, I’ve got to do that” and I’ve actually heard him saying that but then he pulls himself together head up, chin out and off he goes.’

The documentary mark the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which honours adventurous endeavours taken on by young people. Philip’s daughter-in-law, Sophie Wessex, who made a 450-mile bike ride in September to raise money for Duke of Edinburgh Award’s Diamond Challenge, opens up about Philip’s key role in Queen Elizabeth’s life — something that has been captured in the hit Netflix series, The Crown.

‘He has been a fantastic life partner for her,’ Wessex says in the documentary. ‘I think it must be a fairly lonely place being Queen. As a female in the top job, it’s important to have somebody you can lean on, that you can discuss things with, that she can be open and honest with . . . and they make each other laugh.’

From the editors of People