Prince Philippe of Great Britain, flanked by Assistant Colonel Commander, Major General Tom Copinger-Symes inspects the bugles during the transfer of Colonel-in-Chief of Rifles at Windsor Castle in Britain on July 22, 2020. Adrian Dennis / Pool via REUTERS
WINDSOR, England (Reuters) – Prince Philip, the 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain, made a rare public appearance on Wednesday to hand over his patronage of the rifles to Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla, after 67 years of association with the infantry regiment.
Philip, a former naval officer known for his sometimes brusque demeanor and humor, married Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became queen. He is now by far the oldest consort of any British monarch.
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has been Colonel-in-Chief of the Rifles since its formation in 2007, but his connection to the regiment dates back to 1953, as he served as Colonel-in-Chief of the successive regiments that make up the Rifles. .
At a ceremony at Windsor Castle, west London, four buglers announced Philip’s arrival and then blew the so-called “No More Parades” to commemorate his final ceremony as Colonel-in-Chief.
Philip, cheerfully, dressed in a suit and tie, and sometimes smiling, spoke to the soldiers before the ceremony.
At a side ceremony at Highgrove House, almost 100 miles (160 km) away in the west of England, the Commanding General of Colonel Rifles, Sir Patrick Sanders, welcomed Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as the new colonel in chief.
Philip celebrated his 99th birthday on June 10. He gave up his royal duties in August 2017 after completing more than 22,000 solo engagements, but in recent years he has rarely been seen in public.
However, he did attend the secret wedding of Princess Beatrix, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, on Friday.
Written by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Stephen Addison
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