Duke to bow out of public life reprising one of his oldest duties
THE Duke of Edinburgh has done more work in his final year of duties than the Queen or the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, it was revealed yesterday as his final engagement is confirmed to take place next Wednesday.
Having spent 51 days so far this year carrying out public engagements, the Duke will oversee a final parade at Buckingham Palace to call time on his 64 years of public service.
Attending The Captain General’s Parade at Buckingham Palace in his capacity as the head of the Royal Marines, the Duke will bring to an end an unprecedented spell as Britain’s longest serving consort.
Retiring from all official appointments, except for those he volunteers to attend, the Duke will leave behind an extraordinary legacy which has seen him carry out more than 22,200 solo engagements and 5,490 speeches. It will also bring to an end the Duke’s long-standing association with the Royal Marines, which first began on June 2 1953, when the role of Captain General was passed to him from his late father-in-law, King George VI.
While the announcement is thought to have brought forward his retirement several months earlier than expected, it will be seen by many as a fitting farewell, as he reprises one of the first honours bestowed upon him as consort one final time.
The event marks the finale of the 1664 Global Challenge, a four-month fundraising effort which has seen 1,500 Royal Marines take part in a 1,664-mile race on behalf of The Royal Marines Charity. The race will end at the gates of Buckingham Palace, as participants congregate on the Mall while the Duke takes to the dais on the Palace forecourt for the Royal Salute and National Anthem. He will then meet runners, who will no doubt relish the opportunity to enjoy his wry sense of humour one last time, before being passed a ceremonial baton, formally bringing the event – and his career – to a close.
Once retired, the Duke’s role of Captain General is reportedly to be passed to Prince Harry, who would follow in his grandfather’s footsteps as only the second head of the corps not to be a serving monarch at the time of his appointment.