Prince Philip set for final solo appearance before retirement

 

Britain's Prince Philip leaves Canada House in London, Britain July 19, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Philip, the 96-year-old husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, will make his final solo appearance at an official engagement on Wednesday before he retires from active public life.

 

Philip will attend a parade of Royal Marines at Buckingham Palace after more than 22,000 solo appearances over the last 65 years. He is the Captain General of the Royal Marines.

 

Philip married Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey in 1947, and the couple are due to celebrate their platinum, or 70th, wedding anniversary in November.

 

Buckingham Palace has said that Philip, who is also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, may choose to accompany Elizabeth at certain events in the future.

 

Elizabeth has described Philip as her "strength and stay" during her reign, despite his reputation for stray comments and headline grabbing gaffes.

 

The queen, the world's longest-reigning living monarch who celebrated her 91st birthday in April, will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements.

 

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Kate Holton)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-02

Good luck to him.

 

Looks a bit annoyed leaving Canada House - did they refuse him a visa?

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Always amuses me that the royal couple of the UK are actually a German and a Greek...

3 minutes ago, Rancid said:

Always amuses me that the royal couple of the UK are actually a German and a Greek...

And Queen Victoria was Kaiser Wilhelms aunt ( or some direct blood relation)

 

Congratulations to Prince Philip and his very long career.  He certainly deserves a full

retirement. Long Live the Queen !

Geezer

Would be nice to have a job where all you have to do is show up. Pays well too, I hear.

Loved his gaffes, remember the 'slitty eyes' comment?

Priceless.

Glad Abbot is out of office in Oz, and not getting fresh ideas about OAP eligibility age.

Better wish the crusty old consort a long retirement.  When he finally pops his clogs, he wants to come back as a deadly virus and solve the "population problem"  - a threat to the planet which, at 95 and still going strong, he clearly is doing little to ameliorate.

 

5 hours ago, faraday said:

And Queen Victoria was Kaiser Wilhelms aunt ( or some direct blood relation)

 

She was his grandmother.  If Victoria's only son, who became Edward 7th, had have died before having children, then Wilhelm's mother would have been queen and he would have simultaneously been king of the British and German/Prussian empires after that.  Which would have been interesting.