Prince Philip Makes Final Public Appearance Before Retirement
Prince Philip is finally taking a step back from his royal duties.
The 96-year-old Duke of Edinburgh made his last solo public appearance on Wednesday before officially retiring from his duties as Queen Elizabeth II's consort. Reports revealed that he and the queen are planning to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary later this year.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that since the queen ascended the throne in 1952, Prince Philip has attended 22,219 solo engagements, penned 14 books and given a total of 5,496 speeches. Prince Philip was in the Royal Navy when he courted the then-Princess Elizabeth. Their captivating story even inspired a Netflix series titled "The Crown."
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Similar to all major royal milestones, the Royal Mint is commemorating Prince Philip's retirement with a new coin. PEOPLE noted that a new £5 coin has been introduced into circulation. It has the prince's face on one side and the queen's on the other. Written on one side where Philip's face is are the words, "Non sibi sed patriae," a Latin phrase which translates to "not for self, but country."
Although he is taking a break from royal duties, Philip is definitely not disappearing from public view. He is expected to dedicate more time to his hobbies, which include carriage driving. He used to play polo as well, but he retired from the sport at age 50.
"He will still be fulfilling engagements from time to time," the queen's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said (via Express). "He is taking charge of his own life... Invitations will still come in and he will either accept or reject them depending on what interests him. He will still accompany the queen on major state occasions."
Arbiter further stressed that Philip will certainly continue to enjoy his life outside of being a royal figure.
"He is not retiring from life just official engagements," he added.
