Prince Philippe of Great Britain made a rare public appearance amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 99-year-old man attended a military ceremony at Windsor Castle to transfer a long-standing ceremonial role to his daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
Philip, who is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, has been a colonel-in-chief of The Rifles since 2007 and has played the same role for the previous regiments that formed the infantry unit since the 1950s.
Camilla, wife of Prince Charles, was received as the new colonel-in-chief of the regiment in a separate ceremony.
The Duke of Edinburgh retired from public service in 2017. He was previously photographed at Windsor Castle alongside Elizabeth, 94, to celebrate her birthday in June. Most recently, he attended his granddaughter, Princess Beatrix’s private wedding ceremony on Friday.
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Philip’s last major appearance occurred when he was invited to Lady Gabriella Windsor’s wedding in May 2019.
Philip and Elizabeth share four children, including Charles, 71, heir to the throne. The couple also has eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
When he retired from public life, Philip was the patron, president, or member of more than 780 organizations, including many charities. He had given 5,496 speeches, written 14 books, and made 637 solo visits abroad, in addition to hundreds of trips accompanying the queen.
“I think a lot of people probably don’t know what they’ve done because they don’t like flattery,” said Ingrid Seward, editor of Majesty magazine. “He doesn’t like fame. Just keep going. ”
In April, Philip took a moment out of retirement to thank key workers for fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
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November 18, 2007: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh revisit Broadlands to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary on November 20. Royals spent their wedding night at Broadlands in Hampshire in November 1947, the former home of Prince Philip’s uncle, Earl Mountbatten.
(Photo by Tim Graham / Getty Images)
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“I wanted to recognize the vital and urgent work that many do to confront the pandemic; by those in the medical and scientific professions, at universities and research institutions, all united to work to protect us from COVID-19, “Philip said in a statement shared by the Instagram account of the British royal family.
“On behalf of those of us who remain safe and at home, I also wanted to thank all the key workers who ensure that the infrastructure of our lives continues; “The staff and volunteers who work in food production and distribution, those who keep postal and delivery services operational, and those who ensure that garbage continues to be collected,” royalty added.
At the time, Newsweek reported that the prince was “shocked” by the public’s response.
According to the outlet, palace officials noted that this surprising move by Philip is likely to be a one-off incident, rather than a return to regular royal duties.
“The duke moved to send a personal message to all who are addressing this pandemic, to all who have made the decision to help in any way they can,” said a palace expert.
“This is a personal message from the Duke given these special circumstances.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
