Duke steps down from royal duties
The Duke of Edinburgh’s contribution to UK life and his “steadfast support” of the Queen have been praised following his decision to step down from public duties.
Philip will retire from royal engagements in the autumn after more than 65 years supporting the Queen in her role as head of state and attending events for his own charities and organisations.
Despite being 95, Philip’s decision, which is fully supported by the Queen and is not medically related, came as a surprise as he still has a busy official diary and appears to relish meeting the public.
Prime Minister Theresa May led the tributes to the Queen’s consort, saying he has given the monarch “steadfast support”, while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Duke’s “clear sense of public duty” had inspired people for more than 60 years.
A royal aide said of the Duke: “He’s looking forward to enjoying more of his leisure time.”
The Queen’s public schedule will continue as normal but it is understood other members of the Royal Family will “step up” in support of the monarch.
The royal aide added: “This is not a decision taken for medical reasons. The Duke decided this is the right time; he’s nearly 96 and most people will have retired 30 years earlier.”
Yesterday, looking relaxed, Philip joined the Queen at St James’ Palace for a service and lunch for the Order of Merit, an honour given to individuals of great achievement in the fields of the arts, learning, literature and science.
He was seen joking and laughing with some of the Order’s members, including broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, playwright Sir Tom Stoppard and acclaimed artist David Hockney.
It is understood the Duke had been thinking about stepping down from public duties over the past few months and took the decision to make the announcement now as his diary for the autumn would have been finalised.
The Palace said in a statement: “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.
“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.
“Her Majesty will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements with the support of members of the Royal Family.”
Philip is famed for his quips and outspoken remarks that amuse and offend in equal measure but he also has a passionate interest in engineering and design, has written 14 books, many on a wildlife subject matter and is a qualified pilot who speaks several languages.
When he opened the new Warner stand at Lord’s cricket ground on Wednesday, the Duke joked just before he pulled a cord to expose a monument to his visit: “You’re about to see the world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler”.
His decision to retire from public life comes after a momentous six-year period for the Royal Family, from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011, the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations last year and the Queen becoming Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, passing her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria’s record in September 2015.
THE Duke of Edinburgh has been the Queen’s steadfast companion for nearly 70 years. Known for his no-nonsense, acerbic approach, Prince Philip is the longest-serving consort in British history and also the oldest serving partner of a reigning monarch.
The husband of one of the most famous women in the world, he is defined by his relationship to Elizabeth II and gave up a promising naval career to support his wife in her royal role.
In private, he is head of the family. To the public, he is the irascible figure who speaks his mind despite the consequences – famed for his outrageous gaffes.
He once warned a group of Scottish students in China that they would become “slitty-eyed”.
In a Glasgow factory, he pointed to a fusebox of loose wires and remarked that it looked as though it had been installed by an “Indian”.
In Cardiff in 1999, when referring to a school’s steel band, he told young deaf people: “Deaf? If you are near there, no wonder you are deaf.”
He fought for Britain during the Second World War, serving with distinction in the Royal Navy.
As a younger man he was a good shot, a first-class polo player, an accomplished sailor, an enthusiastic cricketer and an international fourin-hand carriage driver.
Hard-working and inquisitive, he has dedicated himself to national life for decades, and even when he gave up some of his charitable associations when he was 90, he has still been associated with more than 800 charities.
Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born on the island of Corfu on June 10, 1921, to Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenburg.
His early years were marked by upheaval after his family went into exile following a military coup in Greece which overthrew his uncle, King Constantine I.
George V, the Queen’s grandfather, ordered the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Calypso to evacuate the family and Philip was carried to safety in a cot made from an orange box in December 1922, aged just 18 months.
His childhood lacked stability and he moved between relatives in France and Britain, and started studying at Cheam Prep School in 1928.
His parents split up and he rarely saw either of them – with his mother, who suffered from mental illness, being confined to an asylum.
After spending a year at a school in Germany, he eventually went to Gordonstoun School in Morayshire.
Philip later joined the Royal Navy, and while a cadet, he caught the eye of the 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth – a distant cousin – when she visited the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth with her parents, the King and Queen.
During the Second World War he saw active service from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean, and by 1945 was in Tokyo Bay as the Japanese surrendered.
He was mentioned in despatches for his service on battleship HMS Valiant in 1941.
Over the years his friendship with Princess Elizabeth blossomed into love. In 1947, two years after the end of the war, the Princess married Philip in Westminster Abbey.
He renounced his Greek title and became a naturalised British subject, and was made Duke of Edinburgh by the King.
The Duke and the Princess had the first of their four children, Charles, now the Prince of Wales, in 1948, and Anne, now the Princess Royal, in 1950.
They initially enjoyed a simple married life during stays on the island of Malta, where the Duke was stationed with the navy.
But their marital bliss changed forever when George VI died on February 6, 1952, and Princess Elizabeth became Queen.
Philip, whose naval career had come to an end, had to define a new role for himself as his wife diligently took to her duties as head of state.
He accompanied the Queen around the world on Commonwealth tours and state visits and across the UK.
He also undertook many royal engagements on his own, becoming involved with hundreds of organisations – often as a hands-on president.
He set about modernising Buckingham Palace after being told to keep out of the Queen’s duties, and reorganised the Balmoral and Sandringham estates, as well as becoming ranger of Windsor Great Park.
“I tried to find useful things to do,” he said about starting a footman training programme at the Palace.
In 1956 he set up the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – inspired by his time at Gordonstoun and his mentor and headmaster, Dr Kurt Hahn. It has become one of the country’s bestknown youth self-improvement schemes, with millions across the globe gaining their bronze, silver and gold awards. The Duke takes a great interest in scientific and technological research and development, as well as the conservation of nature.
After a gap of 10 years, the Queen and Philip welcomed two more children – Andrew, now the Duke of York, in 1960, and Edward, now the Earl of Wessex, in 1964.
The Duke has been depicted as a tough but caring father.
He played polo until 1971 and then took up four-in-hand carriage driving, representing Britain at several European and world championships.
A qualified pilot, he gained his RAF wings in 1953, helicopter wings in 1956 and private pilot’s licence in 1959. His love of the sea never waned, and he competed regularly at Cowes Regatta.
When Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car crash in 1997, Philip joined Charles, Princes William and Harry, and Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, in the solemn procession behind her funeral cortège.
He has enjoyed good health throughout much of his life – recovering from a blocked coronary artery in 2011 and a bladder infection in 2012 – the latter leading him to miss the majority of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
When he turned 90 in June 2011 he insisted on no fuss, but the Queen bestowed on him a new title – Lord High Admiral, titular head of the Royal Navy. It was a tribute to the man who gave up his military career to support his wife, and devote himself to royal service.
A symbol of continuity within the monarchy and public life, the Duke of Edinburgh is the person the Queen relies upon above all others.
Philip’s first-ever private secretary, Michael Parker, a friend from the Navy, once revealed: “He told me the first day he offered me my job that his job, first, second and last was never to let her down.”