Prince Philip is a man known to many. He's been the Queen's unwavering and dependable companion for over 65 years. But alas, the 96-year-old Duke of Edinburgh announced his retirement in May 2017. And this Wednesday saw the Prince attend his last solo Public Appearance.
The Prince's last public engagement
This Wednesday, Prince Philip had his final solo public engagement. This was, in fact, his 22,219th public engagement! His final duty? Meet the heroic Royal Marines who completed a 1664 mile trek in an attempt to race money for charity. The Prince braved the rainy English morning and stepped out to recognize the efforts of the Royal Marines 1664 Global Challenge.
Today as he recognized the efforts of the Marines during a parade at Buckingham Palace, he made his final speech. It was a truly fitting and touching ceremony as the Prince is, in fact, the Royal Marine's Captain General. He was awarded the 1664 Global Challenge baton and sent off with three cheers and a "hip-hooray" by the Marines. In his time as the Queen's liege, he has given 5496 speeches, written 14 novels and embarked on 637 solo overseas visits. He's definitely kept himself busy!
What does retirement look like for Prince Philip?
Just because the Prince is retiring, doesn't mean that the world will never see him again. The Prince will still be seen alongside the Queen, as her never-ending support.
Retirement simply means that the 96-year-old royal will no longer be doing solo stints. The Queen has said that she supports his decision, even though the 91-year-old royal has no plans for her own retirement just yet. She was quoted saying that Prince Philip is her "strength and stay" and that that will never change. She has also admitted that she will be relying a lot more on Prince Charles and Prince William for some of the royal duties expected of the family.
Philip has never been one to sit still for very long. Even now, in his late 90's, he is known for taking the stairs rather than an elevator and for his wit and humor. Even on occasions such as his final public engagement, he took the matter lightly, quipping that he has to retire because he "can't stand up much". The Greek-born naval officer plans on taking life as it comes and still accompanying the Queen on her various visits. He will remain a member of each of the 780 organizations with which he is involved even though he will no longer be actively involved in said organizations.
