Say what you like about Prince Edward, but he has never usually been one for stepping into the limelight – in contrast to his siblings and nephews. Yet, during the course of his two-day official visit to South Africa, the Duke of Edinburgh made some remarks that attracted international media interest.

Speaking at the British High Commission in Pretoria on Monday, Edward – commonly acknowledged as the most low-key senior member of the Royal Family – said: ‘I know the world is not in a happy place at the moment. If I can be quite frank, men aren’t doing a very good job at the moment. So therefore I am not particularly happy about standing up here and speaking [as one].’

Certainly, Edward has, as they say, ‘gone on a journey’ over the past few decades

It says a great deal for the times we live in that these reasonably innocuous remarks, which were taken to refer to everything from the current violence in the Middle East to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, were met with surprise and faint confusion. The Duke’s spokesperson had to issue the ‘clarification’ that ‘His Royal Highness was reflecting on the need to build bridges and not allow conflict to drive communities apart’.

It may not have led to controversy on the scale of many of his family’s public comments, but nonetheless those looking for an opportunity to bash the Royals could accuse him of misandry and of undue self-deprecation. Once, a member of the Firm – including, most notably in recent times, Edward’s father Prince Philip – would have been expected to stand up and make a brief but stirring speech that would extol the virtues of the Commonwealth, the British spirit and, by implication, the men who built it. But now, the Duke of Edinburgh has apologised for being such a man.

Certainly, Edward has, as they say, ‘gone on a journey’ over the past few decades. He was once seen as something of a lightweight, with his career in television production alternately patronised and mocked, not least his involvement in the disastrous It’s a Royal Knockout in 1987. This reached its nadir in 2001 when, shortly after his nephew Prince William had begun his studies at St Andrews, a camera crew from Edward’s production company Ardent attempted to film the now Prince of Wales without permission. This lead to a formal complaint from St James’s Palace. It was probably no coincidence that, the following year, Edward swapped television production for a life as a working royal, where he has quietly and unostentatiously supported a range of charities and endeavours, often with an artistic or cultural bent, ever since.

Many have suggested that Edward’s transformation from hapless blunderer to respected statesman owes a great deal to the influence of his wife Sophie. A former PR executive, her work in women’s rights and sexual violence in war zones shows a willingness to engage in real-world issues that could not be further from the posturing and pageantry that the Royal Family is often seen engaging in.

Edward’s remarks in Pretoria can be seen as reflecting convictions that he has developed over the course of their 25-year marriage. Even if his delivery seemed defensive, there can be little doubt of his sincerity. Whether it will have any wider impact remains to be seen.