The Claim
“Knighted Prince Phillip, a non-Australian who asked Indigenous leaders 'Do you still throw spears at each other?'.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The knighthood:
Prime Minister Tony Abbott did award Prince Philip an Australian knighthood on Australia Day (January 26) 2015 [1]. Abbott, a staunch monarchist, had reintroduced knighthoods and damehoods to the Order of Australia in March 2014, a system that had been abolished in 1989 [2]. The decision was described by Abbott as a "captain's call" made without cabinet consultation [3]. Prince Philip was indeed a British royal, not an Australian citizen, though he had visited Australia 22 times over six decades [4].
The "spears" comment:
The "Do you still throw spears at each other?" remark was made by Prince Philip in March 2002 during a royal visit to Cairns, Queensland with the Queen - 13 years BEFORE the Abbott government knighthood [5]. The comment was directed to Indigenous performer Warren Clements at the Tjapukai Cultural Centre during a performance [6]. Buckingham Palace disputed the exact wording, claiming Philip asked "Do they still throw spears at each other?" in the context of asking about tribal history, and that it was greeted with laughter [7].
Key discrepancy in the claim: The knighthood (2015) and the controversial comment (2002) were separated by 13 years and occurred under completely different circumstances. The claim implies a connection that does not exist.
Missing Context
The Indigenous performer's perspective:
Warren Clements, the Indigenous performer who was present when the comment was made, stated in 2018 that he did not find the remark racist [8]. Clements explained: "They waved and we were showing off. I think Prince Philip took that in and that's why he said it. He's been taken out of context" [9]. He described Prince Philip as "tough as nails" and said "From that moment I had a deep respect for him" [10].
Duration between events:
The claim omits that the controversial comment occurred in 2002 - during the Howard government era (Coalition) - while the knighthood was awarded in 2015. There was no causal or temporal connection between the two events.
Abolition of the knighthood system:
The knighthood system was abolished by Malcolm Turnbull in November 2015, just 10 months after Prince Philip received the knighthood [11]. Turnbull, also from the Coalition, described knights and dames as "anachronistic, out of date, not appropriate, in 2015" [12]. Prince Philip's knighthood was effectively symbolic and short-lived.
Precedent for non-Australian recipients:
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews noted there was precedent for giving awards to people outside Australia [13]. The first Australian knighthoods under Abbott's system went to Governor-General Quentin Bryce, her successor Peter Cosgrove, and former NSW Governor Marie Bashir - all Australians [14].
Source Credibility Assessment
Wikipedia (original source):
The original source provided is Wikipedia's article on royal visits to Australia [15]. Wikipedia is a general reference source with crowd-sourced content. While generally reliable for factual information, it is not a primary source. The article itself was not cited for specific claims about the knighthood or the spear comment - it appears to have been provided as a general reference about royal visits.
The claim combines two facts found separately in Wikipedia (the knighthood in 2015 and the 2002 visit) but presents them as directly connected, which is misleading.
Labor Comparison
Labor's historical position on knighthoods:
The Australian Labor Party has consistently opposed knighthoods as part of its republican platform for over a century [16]. The Hawke Labor government abolished knighthoods in 1989, replacing them entirely with the Order of Australia system [17].
Search conducted: "Labor government knighthoods history Australia"
Finding: Labor has maintained a consistent anti-knighthood position since its founding, viewing them as inappropriate imperial remnants in a modern, independent Australia [18]. The 2015 restoration of knighthoods by Abbott was universally criticized by Labor, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten calling them "anachronistic and unfitting of our proud, modern nation in the 21st century" [19].
Comparison: Unlike many claims where both parties have engaged in similar behavior, this represents a clear policy distinction. Labor has never reintroduced knighthoods; the Abbott government was unique among Australian governments of the past 40 years in doing so.
Balanced Perspective
The controversy:
The knighthood decision sparked widespread criticism across the political spectrum. Cabinet ministers reportedly called it "bewildering," "beyond ridiculous," and "another error of political judgment" [20]. Coalition MPs Ewen Jones and Warren Entsch publicly criticized the decision [21]. Independent Senator Nick Xenophon quipped: "Prince Philip already has every title under the sun. This is a bit like giving Bill Gates an abacus" [22].
Abbott's justification:
Abbott defended the knighthood, stating Prince Philip had been a "great servant of Australia" through the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, which had benefited "hundreds of thousands of young Australians" [23]. Abbott emphasized Philip's six decades of public service and said "It doesn't cost us anything to give him this award" [24].
The spear comment context:
Prince Philip was well-known for making controversial remarks throughout his life [25]. The 2002 comment was one of many "gaffes" attributed to him. However, the Indigenous performer present stated it was not racist and was taken out of context [26]. The comment became more widely known in 2015 due to the knighthood controversy, not because of any new information.
Political impact:
The knighthood contributed to Abbott's leadership instability. It was widely cited as evidence that Abbott was "out of touch with modern Australia" [27]. Abbott later admitted the decision was "injudicious" [28].
Key context: The claim misleadingly links two unrelated events separated by 13 years. The knighthood was controversial on its own merits without needing to reference a 2002 comment.
MISLEADING
5.0
out of 10
The claim is factually accurate in its individual components - Tony Abbott did knight Prince Philip in 2015, and Prince Philip did make the "spears" comment in 2002. However, the claim deliberately conflates two events separated by 13 years, implying a connection that does not exist. The knighthood (2015) and the controversial comment (2002) were entirely separate occurrences under different governments (Abbott and Howard respectively). Presenting them together without temporal context creates a misleading impression that the comment was somehow relevant to or contemporaneous with the knighthood decision. Additionally, the claim omits that the Indigenous performer present did not find the comment racist, and that the knighthood system was abolished by Turnbull just 10 months later.
Final Score
5.0
OUT OF 10
MISLEADING
The claim is factually accurate in its individual components - Tony Abbott did knight Prince Philip in 2015, and Prince Philip did make the "spears" comment in 2002. However, the claim deliberately conflates two events separated by 13 years, implying a connection that does not exist. The knighthood (2015) and the controversial comment (2002) were entirely separate occurrences under different governments (Abbott and Howard respectively). Presenting them together without temporal context creates a misleading impression that the comment was somehow relevant to or contemporaneous with the knighthood decision. Additionally, the claim omits that the Indigenous performer present did not find the comment racist, and that the knighthood system was abolished by Turnbull just 10 months later.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (8)
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1
abc.net.au
Government frontbenchers defend Tony Abbott's decision to award Australia's highest honour to the Duke of Edinburgh, amid continuing criticism of the PM's "captain's call".
Abc Net -
2
theguardian.com
The Australian prime minister breaks with Tony Abbott era by ruling that ‘knights and dames are not appropriate in our modern honours system’
the Guardian -
3
theguardian.com
Prime minister defends the appointment, saying ‘Prince Philip has been a great servant of Australia’
the Guardian -
4
abc.net.au
It is a remark made by Prince Philip that sent heads shaking and jaws dropping across the country, but was it really racist?
Abc Net -
5
news.bbc.co.uk
News Bbc Co -
6
bbc.com
Former Australian PM Tony Abbott admits his decision to award Prince Philip a knighthood, a move that sparked public and political backlash, was "injudicious".
BBC News -
7
en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia -
8
independent.co.uk
The Duke of Edinburgh was notorious for his derogatory comments about people and places
The Independent
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.