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Prince Philip to retire from public duties, palace announces Prince Philip to retire from public duties at age of 96
(about 2 hours later)
The Duke of Edinburgh has announced his retirement from public engagements from autumn this year, Buckingham Palace has announced. The Duke of Edinburgh will retire from public engagements in the summer at the age of 96, a decision that Buckingham Palace said had the full support of the Queen.
The 95-year-old Prince Philip has the full support of the Queen. Shortly after the news was announced, Prince Philip was on duty, and on customary form , joining the Queen at St James’s Palace for a service and lunch for the Order of Merit.
The announcement was made after all members of the Queen’s household were gathered at Buckingham Palace for a rare staff meeting. When the mathematician Sir Michael Atiyah told him: “I’m sorry to hear you’re standing down,” Philip shot back: “Well I can’t stand up much longer.”
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.” Tributes to the longest-serving royal consort in British history, who will turn 96 on 10 June, followed the announcement, first made to royal staff in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace on Thursday.
“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 prime minister, Theresa May, said Philip had been a “steadfast support” to the Queen, while the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, an avowed republican, praised his “clear sense of public duty”.
“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 awards, which he set up in 1956 and are now the world’s leading youth achievement awards across 141 countries, were highlighted as one of his most striking achievements.
Philip, who will be 96 on 10 June, was pictured at Lord’s cricket ground on Wednesday, where he opened the new £25m Warner Stand, named after Sir Pelham Warner. He joked that he was the “world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler”. An aide stressed it was not a medical decision. “The duke decided this is the right time. He’s nearly 96 and most people will have retired 30 years earlier.”
Sources have stressed that Philip is likely to attend events in the future and will not completely disappear from public life. He will retain his association with charities. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “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.
The official Twitter account of the royal family tweeted: “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.”
It added: “Her Majesty will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagement with the support of members of the royal family.”
The announcement was made as the autumn diaries of the royals are being drawn up to give a clear signal of Prince Philip’s intention to the hundreds of organisations he is associated with.
Philip, who famously describes himself as “the world’s most experienced plaque unveiler” has undertaken 22,191 solo engagements and given 5,493 speeches in almost seven decades as the Queen’s “strength and stay”. He has never taken the official title of Prince Consort, despite it being offered. He has one of the royal family’s busiest diaries, last year carrying out official meetings and visits on 110 days.
It means the Queen, whom the Philip has affectionately nicknamed “cabbage”, will attend more solo engagements, or be accompanied by younger members of the royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced in January they were moving from Norfolk to London, with William giving up his job as an air ambulance helicopter pilot in the summer with the intention of taking up more royal duties.
Prince Philip will spend more time at Windsor, enjoying leisure time. He is still an active carriage driver, though he no longer competes, and was seen driving his cart and horses through Windsor as recently as March. He also loves oil painting, and the outdoors. His barbecues are legendary, as the former prime minister David Cameron attested on Twitter.
He will continue his association with the more than 780 organisations he is patron, president or a member of, though no longer play an active role by attending engagements. His particular fields of interest include scientific and technological research, industry, the environment and sport. He has authored 14 books.
Tributes poured in from the charities he supports. The conservation charity WWF said he was “a true champion of the environment”, while Muscular Dystrophy UK wished him “a well deserved and happy retirement”.
Book Aid International said the duke’s support had been “a privilege and an honour”. The dean of the chapel royal in Scotland, the Very Rev Prof Iain Torrance, thanked “our witty and eagled-eyed Duke of Edinburgh” for his “unstinting” promotion of organisations across the country.
The Eccentric Club in London said it looked forward to continuing its relationship and wished him “a most eccentric and delightful ‘retirement’”.
In recent years he has been admitted to hospital on a number of occasions for abdominal surgery, bladder infections and a blocked coronary artery.
Acknowledgement that he was thinking of retirement came on his 90th birthday, when he stepped down as president or patron of more than a dozen organisations and told the BBC in an interview: “I reckon I’ve done my bit,” adding: “It’s better to get out before you reach your sell-by date.”
Seen as a moderniser, who chaired the royals’ Way Ahead Group, Philip was instrumental in abolishing the practice of debutantes being presented at court, and in instituting informal palace lunches drawing people from different walks of life together.
On his marriage, he effectively gave up a promising naval career, which could have seen him become first sea lord. It was curtailed in 1951 with the failing health of his father-in-law George VI. When on his 90th birthday, the Queen bestowed on him the title Lord High Admiral, titular head of the navy, it was seen as an affectionate tribute.
The Duke of Edinburgh is Patron, President or a member of over 780 organisations, with which he will continue to be associated. pic.twitter.com/lH2zsYKXspThe Duke of Edinburgh is Patron, President or a member of over 780 organisations, with which he will continue to be associated. pic.twitter.com/lH2zsYKXsp
The timing of the announcement took many by surprise given that it is in the middle of a general election campaign, but does guarantee wall-to-wall coverage on broadcast media, which because of the local elections, are legally obliged to avoid political coverage. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was among those who praised the duke not just for his seven decades of royal duties but also “his time fighting for Britain during the second world war in the Royal Navy”. Philip was mentioned in dispatches for courage during the Battle of Cape Matapan.
It is likely that the prime minister, Theresa May, was informed when she went to see the Queen on Wednesday to dissolve of parliament. Over his 70 years at the Queen’s side – they celebrate their platinum wedding anniversary in November – he has seen the popularity of the royal family fluctuate, and his sense of humour sometimes translated into “gaffe-prone prince” headlines. It seems not to have bothered him.
News of an eleventh-hour staff meeting at Buckingham Palace had swept social media from the early hours, resulting in a large number of journalists gathering outside. Royal sources scotched rumours there was an imminent announcement about the health of Philip or the Queen, although the Sun’s website briefly – and mistakenly – published a story announcing Philip’s death. He once told biographer Gyles Brandreth that the adulation of the royal couple in the early years of the Queen’s reign was so unbelievable “it could have been corroding”. “It would have been very easy to play to the gallery, but I took the conscious decision not to do that. Safer not to be too popular. You can’t fall too far,” he said.
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. While many paid tribute to Philip, the shadow business minister Chi Onwurah tweeted: “Congratulations to Prince Philip on retiring in financial security at a time of his choosing from a job he enjoys #forthemanynotthefew #waspi,” referring to the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.
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.
His decision to retire from public engagements comes as he and the Queen approach their 70th wedding anniversary in November. He is the longest-serving consort in British history, supporting the nation’s longest-reigning monarch. Unlike Queen Victoria’s Prince Albert, however, he has never been given the official title of prince consort.
With his marriage, the duke effectively gave up a promising naval career, which could have seem him become First Sea Lord. His naval career was curtailed in 1951 with the failing health of his father-in-law George VI and then the accession of Princess Elizabeth.
For his 90th birthday the Queen, undoubtedly in recognition of this career sacrifice, bestowed upon hims the title of Lord High Admiral, titular head of the Royal Navy.
That year the duke stepped down as president or patron of more than a dozen organisations. His interests have mainly been in scientific and technological research, industry, the environment, and participation in sport.
The prime minister 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.”