Prince Philip to retire from royal duties following ‘unusual’ all-staff meeting

PRINCE Philip had the royal media captivated during his first public appearance after announcing his impending retirement from royal duties.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is to retire from public duties in August. Picture: Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images

PRINCE Philip has shown he’s still in fine form following news of his retirement, joking about his ability to stand up.

Within hours of the announcement the Duke, 95, will step back from public engagements in August, he was with the Queen, 91, at a service for members of the Order of Merit at St James’s Palace.

“I’m sorry to hear you’re standing down,” one man said to the Duke in an exchange captured on camera. He quickly replied: “I can’t stand up much!”

Prince Philip jokes about the real reason he's standing down from royal engagementshttps://t.co/krBFxFp8iL pic.twitter.com/pUjlT2TNQk

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 4, 2017

On Thursday the Duke announced he would retire from public engagements in the northern autumn after a lifetime of service.

“His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year,” the Palace said in a statement.

“The Duke has the full support of the Queen.”

Britain's Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, wipes his face at an engagement just hours after he announced he would retire from public life. Picture: John Stillwell/Pool Photo via AP.

An announcement regarding The Duke of Edinburgh. https://t.co/SF1bgo68Un pic.twitter.com/TO9mR70xTk

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 4, 2017

The Duke will fulfil his prearranged commitments but not accept any new engagements.

He is a Patron, President or member of more than 780 organisations that he will continue to be associated with, but will no longer play an active role, the Palace said.

The Queen, 91, will continue with her full schedule.

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The Duke was also seen joking a day before the announcement at Lord’s cricket ground where he said he was the “world’s most experienced plaque unveiler”.

Prince Philip, 95, at Lord's cricket ground, uttering one of his favourite lines: pic.twitter.com/pltAwfbhai

— Peter Hunt (@BBCPeterHunt) May 3, 2017

The Duke pictured for the first time since he announced he would retire. He has carried out more than 200 royal engagements in the last year. Picture: John Stillwell/Pool Photo via AP.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, wearing his military dress uniform, circa 1990. .Picture: Terry O'Neill/Getty Images)

Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will step back from his public engagements in August. Picture: AFP PHOTO / POOL / BEN STANSALL

The announcement came following a “highly unusual” meeting where senior staff from across the UK were called to London to be addressed by the Lord Chamberlain and the Queen’s private secretary, Sir Christopher Geidt.

News of the meeting prompted instant speculation about the future of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.

“Although meetings involving the entire Royal household are occasionally called, the way this has been done at the eleventh hour is highly unusual and suggests that there is something major to be disseminated,” The Daily Mail quoted a source as saying.

Sources said earlier there was no cause for concern about the health of the Royal couple.

Queen Elizabeth with Prince Philip holding Princess Anne and Prince Charles in 1951. Picture: Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images.

Feeding Donna the elephant in Whispsnade, England. Picture: Tony Margiocchi/Barcroft Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images.

The Duke of Edinburgh has carried out more than 200 royal engagements in the last year.

LIFE OF SERVICE

The news has prompted an outpouring of tributes for the Duke, who will have been married to the Queen for 70 years in November.

Since 1952 he has carried out more than 22,000 solo engagements. UK Prime Minister Theresa May thanked him for a lifetime of service.

“On behalf of the whole country, I want to offer our deepest gratitude and good wishes to His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh,” she said.

“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.”

Labour Jeremy Corbyn, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron and Scottish National Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon also paid tribute to the Duke.

Prince Philip was born in Corfu, Greece to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg.

He joined the Royal Navy at 18 years old and reached the rank of commander in 1952 before being appointed Lord High Admiral in 2011 by the Queen on his 90th birthday.

He’s renowned for his devotion and unwavering support for the Queen and famously walks a few steps behind her in public. He has also pioneered the Duke of Edinburgh awards with four million young people carrying out physical challengers to win gold, silver or bronze since 1956.

The couple have four children; Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

The Duke is also a fan of oil painting and carriage driving, which he loves doing at high speed despite his advancing years.

The Royal couple on 20th November 1947 before the now Queen’s coronoration. Picture: Popperfoto/Getty Images.

Prince Philip shared a lifetime of public service with the Queen and is famous for his blunt one-liners. He once told a royal photographer to “hurry up and take the “f***ing” photo”. Picture: Andy Buchanan

The Queen and Prince Philip are renowned for being a stable couple who are very much in love. Picture: AAP Image/Lyndon Mechielsen

PRINCE OF THE PUBLIC GAFFE

The Duke is also famous for his colourful language and gaffe-prone public appearances. Some of his famous one-liners include asking Aboriginal leader William Brim in 2002 if they “still throw spears at each other.”

He also refused to pat a koala in a 1992 visit to Australia, saying: “Oh no, I might catch some ghastly disease.”

In 2001 he told 13-year-old aspiring astronaut Andrew Adams, “you’re too fat to be an astronaut.”

He once hurried the Queen from the deck of the Britannia boat as she spoke to guests: “Yak, yak, yak; come on get a move on,” he said.

Britain's Prince Philip is renowned for his off-colour jokes, including telling a 13-year-old aspiring astronaut he was “too fat” to be an astronaut. Picture: AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File.

He has been a constant companion for the Queen for nearly 70 years and gave up his naval career to marry her. On his 90th birthday she named him High Admiral which is the title head of the Royal Navy. . Picture: Photo by Toby Melville/WPA Pool/Getty Images.

SCALING BACK

Both the Queen, 91, and Prince Philip, 95, have pulled back on their Royal commitments recently.

They also Queen and Duke suffered a bout of bad health during the Christmas period. The Queen opted to delay travelling due to illness and missed a Christmas Day church service, but both have recovered well.

In December the Queen stepped down as patron of 25 of the 600 national organisations she is a member of. The Duke carried out 219 official engagements last year — more than Prince William.

On Wednesday, the Queen met British Prime Minister Theresa May to dissolve parliament before the election scheduled for June 8.

Prince Philip recently met with Kylie Minogue to present her with the Britain-Australia Society Award. Picture: Steve Parsons — WPA Pool/Getty Images.

— With wires

Originally published as Prince Philip to retire from royal duties following ‘unusual’ all-staff meeting