Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, 95, permanently steps down from all royal duties

Prince Philip is to retire from royal duties at the age of 95, it was revealed today.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s well-earned retirement was announced at a top secret emergency meeting called by Buckingham Palace today.

It caused fevered speculation around the world about the future of the Queen and her husband.

The Mail revealed last night that Her Majesty’s most senior aides called her entire household from across Britain to London for a 10am summit ahead of a royal announcement.



But royal sources said that internet rumours about the Queen’s or the Duke of Edinburgh’s health faltering are ‘wide of the mark’ and the couple are ‘fine’.

As speculation swirled yesterday the spokesman refused to say what the meeting is about but added: ‘There’s no cause for alarm’ and the Royal Standard remains at full mast over Buckingham Palace today, meaning there has been no death in the royal family.

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Also, Like us on facebook </s> Prince Philip is to retire from all public royal duties, it has been announced.

The Duke of Edinburgh's retirement at age 95 was revealed at a top secret emergency meeting called by Buckingham Palace this morning.

The Palace said in a statement: "His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year. In taking this decision, The Duke has the full support of The Queen.

"Prince Philip will attend previously scheduled engagements between now and August, both individually and accompanying The Queen. Thereafter, The Duke will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagements, although he may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time.

"The Duke of Edinburgh is patron, president or a member of over 780 organisations, with which he will continue to be associated, although he will no longer play an active role by attending engagements.

"Her Majesty will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements with the support of members of the royal family."

The announcement comes after The Queen's most senior aides summoned her entire household to an emergency meeting at 10am.

Royal sources said earlier that internet rumours about the Queen's or the Duke of Edinburgh's health faltering were 'wide of the mark' and the couple are 'fine'.

The Royal Standard flag over Buckingham Palace remains at full mast today meaning that there has been no death in the royal family.

* Related article: Queen calls all staff meeting at Buckingham Palace today sparking frenzy of speculation about herself and Prince Phillip </s> According to Buckingham Palace, Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth ll is set to retire from royal duties this autumn.

The Palace said in a statement that it was the Duke’s decision. The Queen has given her full support on the matter.

It said: “His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year. In taking this decision, The Duke has the full support of The Queen.

“Prince Philip will attend previously scheduled engagements between now and August, both individually and accompanying The Queen. Thereafter, The Duke will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagements, although he may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time.

“The Duke of Edinburgh is Patron, President or a member of over 780 organisations, with which he will continue to be associated, although he will no longer play an active role by attending engagements.

“Her Majesty will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements with the support of members of the Royal Family.”

This announcement came after The Queen summoned an all-staff meeting at Buckingham Palace. </s> Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip on Thursday announced that he was retiring from royal duties later this year, the Royal Family said in a statement. The Clarence House announced that the 95-year-old will attend engagements scheduled previously from now till Autumn.

However, he will continue to be the patron, president or a member of over 780 organisations with which he is currently associated. The Duke of Edinburgh will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagement, the statement said.

The Royal Family said the Queen will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements.

Earlier in the day, the Buckingham Palace had reportedly called for an emergency meeting of its staff members, sparking panicked rumours that either Prince Philip or Queen Elizabeth had died. However, unidentified officials from the palace told Reuters that there was no cause for alarm. </s> Britain's 96-year-old Prince Philip carried out his final solo engagement here to begin his retirement from royal duties.

The Duke of Edinburgh is the longest serving consort to a British monarch with 65 years of public service and appearing at hundreds of events alongside his wife Queen Elizabeth II.

His appearance on Wednesday at a parade to mark the finale of the 1664 Global Challenge a series of strength and endurance challenges raising funds and awareness for charity brings his solo engagements total to 22,220 since 1952.

In his role as Captain General of the Royal Marines, he met British naval servicemen who have taken part in a 1,664-mile trek as part of the challenge at a Buckingham Palace ceremony.

Prince Philip then took the royal salute from a dais on the Palace forecourt and parade ended with three cheers for the Captain General.

He then set off to join the Queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where the couple traditionally spend this time of the year.

While his official diary of engagements come to an end on Wednesday, the Palace has said the Duke may still decide to attend some events alongside the Queen, 91, whose diary of events remains unchanged.

"The parade would bring His Royal Highness' individual programme to a conclusion, although he may choose to attend certain events, alongside the Queen, from time to time," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.

According to palace records, Prince Philip has undertaken 637 solo overseas visits to 143 countries, delivered 5,496 speeches, written 14 books and carried out the role of patron for 785 organisations during his royal career.

It was announced in May that he would no longer undertake any solo royal engagements but the Palace had stressed that the surprise news was not health related.

The Duke is known for his quips and over the past few months has been joking about his impending retirement, telling British celebrity cook Prue Leith at a Palace event: "I'm discovering what it's like to be on your last legs".

Prince Philip, who has long been considered among the most active royals in the UK, has been married to Queen Elizabeth II since 1947.

The couple are set to mark their 70th or platinum wedding anniversary in November this year.

Their son and heir, Prince Charles, and grandsons Princes William and Harry are expected to take on additional royal duties to step in for Prince Philip at public engagements from this month.

The Queen and Prince Philip had already cut down on long-haul travel for some years now, with younger royals taking on those duties.

Close confidantes of the royal family said that the decision to retire was a personal one taken by Prince Philip himself, who may now devote his time to writing his memoirs. </s> London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s Prince Philip, the 95-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II, will retire from public engagements later this year, Buckingham Palace said Thursday.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who turns 96 on June 10, is the longest-serving consort in British history, and is still in good health.

But he has been reducing his workload in recent years, and said in 2011 that “I reckon I’ve done my bit, so I want to enjoy myself a bit now”.

Philip conducted 219 royal engagements last year, and was in good form when he opened a new stand at Lord’s cricket ground in London on Wednesday.

“You’re about to see the world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler,” he quipped just before pulling the cord to part a small curtain.

The former naval officer’s no-nonsense approach combined with his infamous and often politically incorrect off-the-cuff remarks has not made it easy for people to warm to his style.

But his unwavering, forthright style and devotion to duty and the queen has endeared him to the nation.

Prime Minister Theresa May offered him the whole country’s “deepest gratitude and good wishes”.

“His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year,” the palace said in a statement.

“In taking this decision, the duke has the full support of the queen.”

It said he would attend previously scheduled engagements until August, and would not accept any new invitations thereafter.

However, “he may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time”, it said.

Philip has been ever-present at his wife’s side since she took the throne in 1952.

They married in 1947 and will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on November 20.

It is likely that the monarch will be accompanied by younger members of the royal family on future engagements.

Prince William, second in line to the throne, has already announced that he is leaving his job as an air ambulance pilot this year in order to undertake more royal duties.

The announcement followed a meeting of royal staff from around Britain — a rare gathering which prompted global speculation about the health of the monarch and her husband.

“Her Majesty will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements with the support of members of the royal family,” the palace stressed.

Like her husband, Queen Elizabeth has gradually cut back her workload in recent years as they go into their nineties.

But she made a sacred vow before God and her people at her 1953 coronation to serve for life, which experts say she considers unbreakable.

She also witnessed how the monarchy was placed in peril by her uncle king Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936.

Philip is patron, president or a member of more than 780 organisations, and while he will maintain his association with them, he will “no longer play an active role by attending engagements”, it said.

The duke carried out royal duties on 110 days last year — more than his grandchildren Princes William and Harry.

His 219 engagements last year were made up of 101 official visits, 91 receptions and 21 other engagements.

They were all carried out in Britain as Queen Elizabeth and the duke have cut down their overseas travel.

They made state visits to Germany and Malta in 2015 but have not left Europe since their visit to Australia in 2011.

In her statement, May paid tribute to Philip’s contribution to public life.

“From his steadfast support for Her Majesty the Queen to his inspirational Duke of Edinburgh Awards and his patronage of hundreds of charities and good causes, his contribution to our United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the wider world will be of huge benefit to us all for years to come,” she said.

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Also, Like us on facebook </s> Prince Philip, the consort known for his steadfast support of his wife Queen Elizabeth II as well as for his occasional gaffs, will retire from royal duties this fall, Buckingham Palace said Thursday.

Philip, 95, made the decision himself with the full support of the queen, the palace said in a statement. The royal, known as the Duke of Edinburgh, has suffered from heart disease and other ailments in recent years but has nonetheless maintained a vigorous public schedule.

He seemed to be in good health and a fine mood Wednesday during an appearance at a London cricket club. He joked about being the world's most experienced person when it comes to unveiling plaques.

Officials said the queen, who turned 91 last month, will keep carrying out royal engagements with the support of the royal family.

She has, however, lowered her work load in recent years as her children and grandchildren have moved to the fore. Attention has been increasingly focused on her son Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and on Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.

The palace said Philip will continue heading numerous charitable organizations but will not play an active role attending engagements.

The palace did not offer any new details about his health and there were no indications of any new problems. The statement indicated Philip will carry out previously scheduled engagements between now and August.

Prime Minister Theresa May expressed gratitude to Philip after he announced his retirement, thanking him for his years supporting the queen.

The queen is normally quite reserved about her private life but she has described her husband as "my strength and stay all these years." They were married in 1947.

Earlier in the day, a report by Britain's Daily Mail of an unusual meeting of royal household staff sparked a worldwide wave of speculation about the health of the queen and Philip, including incorrect reports that the flag atop Buckingham Palace had been lowered to half-staff.

The queen met with May at the palace Wednesday. She has made several public appearances recently. </s> Very late last night (early morning in UK Greenwich Mean Time), England’s Queen Elizabeth II called an emergency meeting with her most senior aides, and Royal correspondent for the BBC Peter Hunt sent out this ominous sounding tweet:

This, of course, led some (myself included) to fear it very much had to do with the health of either the Queen or Prince Philip. The New York Times described it as “a frenzy of speculation” but we prefer to call it a kerfuffle, if you please. The Twitter hashtag #BuckinghamPalace was trending higher than #StarWarsDay and #MayTheFourthBeWithYou. The Sun even published — then retracted — an obituary for Prince Philip.

But buck up, it’s not that bad after all, as Buckingham Palace has just announced what’s really going on. Prince Philip, the seemingly-immortal husband of the seemingly-immortal Queen Elizabeth II, is retiring from royal duties at age 95. (Goodnight, sweet Prince?)

Honestly, I thought the 95-year-old Prince had already retired twenty years ago. Perhaps I’m not be the best one to cover news of the Royals, being that much of what I know of British culture comes from Blur albums and episodes of Red Dwarf and The League Of Gentlemen (this is a local reference, for LOCAL people). But I’m the only one awake here when it’s 10 am at Buckingham Palace, so carry on we must. </s> Britain’s Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip retired from public life on Wednesday after a solo appearance at an official event, Reuters reported. Ninety-six-year-old Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, met the British Navy personnel before he retired, BBC reported.

The Buckingham Palace, however, said that Philip may attend certain events alongside the Queen in future. Philip had announced his retirement in May this year. “I can’t stand up much,” Philip had told a guest at the event on the day of the announcement.

Philip, who is Captain General of the Royal Marines, on Wednesday attended a parade marking the 1664 Global Challenge - a series of strength challenges for charitable causes. He met servicemen who had taken part in a 2,678-km trek. Philip had completed 22,219 solo engagements since 1952, when his wife became the Queen of Britain, according to BBC.
Buckingham Palace announces that 95-year-old Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince consort of Queen Elizabeth II, will retire from royal duties in August.