Duke of Edinburgh to quit duties
Prince Philip, 95, who has been ill in recent years, will retire in the fall
LONDON — Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband, is to retire from royal duties this fall, Buckingham Palace said Thursday.
The 95-year-old Duke of Edinburgh made the decision himself with the full support of the Queen, the palace said in a statement.
Philip has suffered from heart disease and other ailments in recent years, but has nonetheless maintained a vigorous public schedule.
He joked about his advanced years at a reception where he accompanied the Queen on Thursday. After a well-wisher expressed sadness at his decision to retire, Philip replied: “I can’t stand up much longer.”
He seemed to be in good health and a fine mood the day before during an appearance at a London cricket club, where he quipped about being the world’s most experienced person when it comes to unveiling plaques.
That might be true: Official figures indicate that Philip has made more than 22,000 solo royal appearances and thousands more at the Queen’s side.
Philip, a member of the Greek royal family in exile, has been at the Queen’s side in countless public appearance since their marriage in 1947.
He gave up a successful naval career to support her when she became Queen in 1952.
He became the longest-serving consort in 2009, much as Elizabeth has become Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
The announcement drew a tweet of congratulations from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who thanked Philip for his decades of service and wished him well in retirement. Philip last visited Canada four years ago.
Robert Finch, chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada, said Philip’s inaugural royal visit to this country took place more than 66 years ago in 1951, noting that his years in public service exceeded the retirement age for most people.
“I think we’ll still see him in public for the odd occasion here and there, but at 95 years old I think he can be proud of his service, and I think Canadians can be proud of his service to their country,” Finch said in an interview.
British Prime Minister Theresa May expressed gratitude “on behalf of the whole country” to Philip for his decades of service.
“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,” May said.
Officials said the Queen, who turned 91 last month, will keep carrying out royal engagements with the support of her family. She has indicated that she does not plan to retire.
The Queen has reduced her workload considerably in recent years as her children and grandchildren have moved to the fore. She has stopped making long-haul flights.
Attention has been increasingly focused on Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and on her grandson Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge.
The palace said Philip would continue his role with more than 780 charitable organizations, but would not attend engagements.
He is not expected to disappear completely from the public stage. The palace said he might still choose to attend some events from time to time.
The palace did not offer any new details about Philip’s health and there were no indications of any new problems.
The statement indicated that Philip will carry out previously scheduled engagements between now and August.
Philip said when he turned 90 in 2011 that he was “winding down” his official duties, adding that he felt he had “done my bit.” Later that year, he was treated for a blocked heart artery but seemed to recover well.
Since then, he has spent time in hospital several times with other ailments.
The Queen is normally reserved about her private life, but she has described her husband as “my strength and stay all these years.”
She met May at the palace on Wednesday and has made several public appearances recently. The Queen and Philip were both ill with the flu over Christmas, but seem to have recovered well.
Philip is known for having a sometimes-offensive sense of humour — and for gaffes that accompanied his many travels.
Among his most infamous was in 1986, while visiting Beijing, where he told a group of British students: “If you stay here much longer you’ll all be slitty-eyed.”