At 95 years old, it’s about damn time Prince Philip retires!
On Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II‘s husband is officially stepping down from public life. Good for him!
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It’s said the Duke of Edinburgh, who has been loyally by the Queen’s side throughout the duration of her 65year reign, will stop accepting invitations for public engagements this September. In a statement released by the palace, the royal family noted:
“His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year. In taking this decision, The Duke has the full support of The Queen.”
This news comes only a month before the Prince’s 96th birthday and after a “heavy cold” left the royal couple unable to attend several public appearances over Christmas. Still, for all you Prince Philip fans out there, His Grace won’t be completely MIA from public life following his retirement.
The royal’s statement added:
“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.”
Not to mention, the Queen currently has no plans to retire as she will “continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements.” Reportedly, the other members of the royal family — including Prince William, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, etc. — are expected to step up and take on more engagements in order to support the monarch.
British Prime Minister Theresa May only had nice things to say about the Duke following his retirement announcement, as she gushed in a statement of her own:
“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.”
We’re wishing Prince George‘s great-grandpa only the best as he embarks on this new chapter in his life.
[Image via WENN.]
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