Sir Tom Jones has revealed that Prince Philip apologized for the comment he once made about the singer "gargling with pebbles."
In 1969, the late Duke of Edinburgh approached Sir Tom who had performed at the Royal Variety Show and in response to Tom's unique voice, said: "What do you gargle with, pebbles?"
However The Voice judge has now revealed that, many years later, the Duke came up to him at Buckingham Palace during an event to clear the air, a moment both Tom and late wife Linda thought was "wonderful".
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Speaking on SiriusXM’s This Is Happening with Mark Zito and Ryan Sampson, Tom said: "[Philip] said, 'I was at a small businessman's meeting. And they were mourning about not being subsidized by the government enough for their businesses.' And [Philip] said, 'I used you as an example.'
"He said, 'Look, if a son of a Welsh coal miner from Pontypridd in South Wales can come to London, make a success of himself, what are you lot grumbling about?' Right. And he said that 'the man's voice is so powerful, I'm sure he must gargle with pebbles.'"
Tom added that Philip then told him "it was a compliment."
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Sir Tom met the Queen in 1969 at the Royal Variety Performance
"He took the time to explain himself, which I thought was great. I mean, he didn't have to do that. He could have just said, well, it is what it is, but no, no, [he] wanted to explain it. And I thought that was wonderful. And so did my wife," said Tom.
Tom has spent the past four decades in LA, most of those spent with his beloved wife Linda, who sadly passed away in 2016 after a short battle with lung cancer.
The couple, who met when they were just 12, spent 18 years living together in the same grand property in Los Angeles, and it held a lot of bittersweet memories for Tom.
Tom was married to wife Linda for decades
The house was an enormous five-bedroom, seven-bathroom building with an outdoor swimming pool and large garden, which Tom purchased for £2.1million and sold for £6.5million.
The interiors were opulent with chandeliers and leopard print aplenty and the outside had stunning views that stretched across the city and to the hills beyond.
He made a surprise return to the UK under Linda's dying wishes.
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