Prince Philip turns 97
LONDON: Britain’s royal patriarch Prince Philip, turned 97 yesterday, his first birthday since retiring after a lifetime of public service.
Never one for a fuss, least of all over himself, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband has no plans for celebrations as he moves a step nearer to 100.
“He will be spending it privately,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said, without saying where.
The Duke of Edinburgh was absent as planned from his wife’s official birthday celebrations on Saturday, when other senior royals gathered to watch the Trooping of the Colour military parade here.
He has kept a low profile since conducting his final solo public engagement in August, the last of 22,219 attended since the queen ascended to the throne in 1952.
However, he did attend the wedding of his grandson, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle on May 19, despite undergoing a hip replacement on April 4.
The no-nonsense former naval officer has rarely celebrated his birthday and, in his working years, often used to turn out for engagements as normal.
He was the patron, president or member of more than 780 organisations. He carried out 637 visits abroad on his own and gave almost 5,500 speeches.
Since retiring, he has spent much of his time at Windsor, west of London, and at the queen’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk, with occasional visits here.
He has been spotted carriage driving — a sport he took up in the 1970s after stopping playing polo.
Although the duke has stepped down from public duties, his roles within the royal family continue.
While Queen Elizabeth concentrates on affairs of state, Prince Philip is in charge of matters such as running the royal estates.
He maintains a small office dealing with correspondence.