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| Prince Philip to retire from public engagements, says palace | Prince Philip to retire from public engagements, says palace |
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| The Duke of Edinburgh has announced his retirement from public engagements from autumn this year, Buckingham Palace has announced. | The Duke of Edinburgh has announced his retirement from public engagements from autumn this year, Buckingham Palace has announced. |
| The 95-year-old Prince Philip has the full support of the Queen. | The 95-year-old Prince Philip has the full support of the Queen. |
| The announcement was made after all members of the Queen’s household were gathered at Buckingham Palace for a highly unusual staff meeting. | The announcement was made after all members of the Queen’s household were gathered at Buckingham Palace for a highly unusual staff meeting. |
| In a statement, Buckingham Palace 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.” | In a statement, Buckingham Palace 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.” | “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.” | “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.” |
| Philip, who will be 96 on June 10, was pictured at Lord’s cricket ground on Wednesday, where he opened the new £25 million Warner Stand, named after Sir Pelham Warner. | |
| The duke has one of the busiest diaries of all the royals. In 2016 he carried out official meetings and visits on 110 days of the year, far more than some younger members of his family. | |
| He is still extremely active, and was seen riding a carriage with four horses through Windsor in March. He took up carriage driving after being forced to retire from playing polo many years ago. | |
| In recent years he has suffered some health problems. In June 2013, he was admitted to the private London Clinic for a exploratory abdominal operation. He spent eleven days in hospital, including his 92nd birthday. | |
| In August 2012 he was taken to hospital as a precaution following the recurrence of a bladder infection at Balmoral, the Queen’s highland estate. | |
| It was a bladder infection that caused concern at the height of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, after he and the Queen stood for 80 minutes aboard the royal barge during the Thames flotilla in awful weather. He was treated at King Edward VII hospital, London, and missed the Diamond Jubilee concert. | |
| In December 2011 doctors at Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire inserted a coronary stent; the duke had suffered chest pains at Sandringham, the Queen’s Norfolk estate, where the family traditionally gather at Christmas. | |
| Theresa May said: “On behalf of the whole country, I want to offer our deepest gratitude and good wishes to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh following today’s announcement that he will stand down from public duties in the autumn. | |
| “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.” | |
| The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said: “I would like to pay tribute to Prince Philip following his decision to retire from public service. He has dedicated his life to supporting the Queen and our country with a clear sense of public duty. | |
| “His Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme has inspired young people for more than 60 years in over 140 nations. We thank Prince Philip for his service to the country and wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.” |