Prince Philip Makes His Last Solo Appearance, After 65 Years in the Public Eye
In the end, after hours of waiting and anticipation, the palace announced the then-95-year-old prince was retiring, even as Buckingham Palace said
that he might still occasionally attend public events at the queen’s side.
2, 2017
Prince Philip, who on Wednesday made his final solo public appearance before retiring from his official duties as the consort of Queen Elizabeth II, recently quipped
that he was "the world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler." He could be forgiven for finally taking a break.
The report prompted breathless rumors that a royal personage may have died,
and members of the global news media scrambled to Buckingham Palace in the predawn hours.
At the time, Prime Minister Theresa May offered him "our deepest gratitude
and good wishes." Part diplomat, part royal consort, Prince Philip has served as a patron, a president or a member of more than 780 organizations.
Offered a gift by a Kenyan woman in 1984, he asked: "You are a woman, aren’t you?" Asked his opinion of Beijing, while on a tour of China in 1986, his reply was
succinct: "Ghastly." "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?" he said to a driving instructor in Oban, Scotland, in 1995.
On Wednesday, The Daily Telegraph, a conservative-leaning newspaper known for its royal coverage, accidentally published an article on its website stating
that Prince Philip had died, commemorating his life and detailing his funeral.
