The Duke of Edinburgh officially unveiled a plaque for new barracks named in his honour at the Ministry of Defence Lyneham in Wiltshire during an official visit on 11 March 2016.

He addressed a crowd of more than 100 military personnel and local schoolchildren, saying how flattered he was to have a barracks named after him.

It certainly wasn’t a dull moment as people were in fits of laughter as the 94-year-old Duke quipped, “I’m the world’s most experienced plaque unveiler,” before pulling the cord to open the blue ceremonial curtain.

According to sources, many military personnel and trainees who met Prince Philip said he was in “top form” during his three-hour visit.

Major Rebecca Jacklin told reporters that Prince Philip was “really engaging – he was very interested in the training that we’re carrying out here.”

The Prince, who has been Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) since 1969, was given a tour of their new regimental headquarters in The Prince Philip Barracks.

The former RAF base was turned into a state-of-the-art military training facility, costing £230 million, with a range of Army training equipment including tanks, armoured vehicles, weapons and sophisticated technical training aids.

Prince Philip viewed a truck engine simulator, watched a remote-controlled bomb disposal robot being put through its paces as well as an old Land Rover which belonged to the late Queen Mother.

The Prince also spoke with soldiers and instructors about the training.

Prince Philip also stopped to talk to schoolchildren from the nearby Lyneham Primary School waving Union Jacks.

Headteacher John Read told The Telegraph, “It’s been a really exciting day for the children. It was great to be here because our school has strong links with the base and many of our pupils had family in the military.”

He added it ties in with lessons in school – about what it means to be British and British values.

“This will be a day they remember for the rest of their lives.”

The visit ended with Prince Philip meeting families of military personnel based at the barracks and had lunch in the Princess Marina Officers’ Mess.