Prince edward, duke of edinburgh net worth
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Consort of Queen Elizabeth II from to
"Prince Philip" redirects here. For other uses, see Prince Philip (disambiguation).
| Prince Philip | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Allan Warren, | |
| Tenure | 6&#;February &#;&#; 9&#;April |
| Born | Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark ()10 June [fn 1] Mon Repos, Corfu, Greece |
| Died | 9 April () (aged&#;99) Windsor Castle, Windsor, England |
| Burial | 17&#;April |
| Spouse | |
| Issue Detail | |
| House | |
| Father | Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark |
| Mother | Princess Alice of Battenberg |
| Signature | |
| Education | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service / branch | |
| Years of active service | – |
| Rank | Full list |
| Commands | HMS&#;Magpie |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | |
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark,[1] later Philip Mountbatten; 10&#;June [fn 1]&#;&#; 9&#;April ), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth&#;II.
As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from his wife's accession on 6&#;February until his death in , making him the longest-serving royal consort in history.
Philip was born in Greece into the Greek and Danish royal families; his family was exiled from the country when he was eighteen months old. After being educated in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, he joined the Royal Navy in , when he was 18 years old.
In July , Philip began corresponding with the year-old Princess Elizabeth, the elder daughter and heir presumptive of King George&#;VI. During the Second World War, he served with distinction in the British Mediterranean and Pacific fleets.
In the summer of , the King granted Philip permission to marry Elizabeth, then aged Before the official announcement of their engagement in July , Philip stopped using his Greek and Danish royal titles and styles, became a naturalisedBritish subject, and adopted his maternal grandparents' surname Mountbatten.
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In November , he married Elizabeth, was granted the style His Royal Highness and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. Philip left active military service when Elizabeth ascended the throne in , having reached the rank of commander. In , he was created a British prince.
Philip had four children with Elizabeth: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.
A sports enthusiast, Philip helped develop the equestrian event of carriage driving. He was patron, president, or member of over organisations, including the World Wide Fund for Nature, and served as chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a youth awards programme for people aged 14 to [2] Philip is the longest-lived male member of the British royal family.
He retired from royal duties in , aged 96, having completed 22, solo engagements and 5, speeches since , and died at the age of 99 at Windsor Castle.
Early life and education
Family, infancy and exile from Greece
Prince Philip (Greek: Φίλιππος, romanised:&#;Phílippos)[3] of Greece and Denmark was born on 10&#;June on the dining room table in Mon Repos, a villa on the Greek island of Corfu.
He was the only son and fifth and final child of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and his wife, Princess Alice of Battenberg.[5] Philip's father was the fourth son of King George&#;I and Queen Olga of Greece, and his mother was the eldest child of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, and Victoria Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven (formerly Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine).
A member of the House of Glücksburg, Philip was a prince of both Greece and Denmark by virtue of his patrilineal descent from George&#;I of Greece and George's father, Christian&#;IX of Denmark; he was from birth in the line of succession to both thrones.[fn 2] Philip's four elder sisters were Margarita, Theodora, Cecilie, and Sophie.
He was baptised in the Greek Orthodox rite at St.&#;George's Church in the Old Fortress in Corfu. His godparents were his paternal grandmother, Queen Olga of Greece; his cousin George, Crown Prince of Greece; his uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten; and the municipality of Corfu, represented by its mayor, Alexandros Kokotos,[9] and by the president of the council, Stylianos Maniarizis.[10]
Shortly after Philip's birth, his maternal grandfather died in London.
The Marquess of Milford Haven was a naturalised British subject who, after a career in the Royal Navy, had renounced his German titles and adopted the surname Mountbatten—an Anglicised version of Battenberg—during the First World War, owing to anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom. After visiting London for his grandfather's memorial service, Philip and his mother returned to Greece, where Prince Andrew had remained to command a Greek Army division embroiled in the Greco-Turkish War.[11]
Greece suffered significant losses in the war and the Turks made substantial gains.
Philip's uncle and high commander of the Greek expeditionary force, King Constantine&#;I, was blamed for the defeat and was forced to abdicate in September The new military government arrested Andrew, along with others. General Georgios Hatzianestis, who was commanding officer of the army, and five senior politicians were arrested, tried, and executed in the Trial of the Six.
Andrew's life was also believed to be in danger and Alice was under surveillance. Finally, in December, a revolutionary court banished Andrew from Greece for life.[12] The British naval vessel HMS&#;Calypso evacuated Andrew's family, with Philip carried to safety in a fruit box.[13]
Upbringing in France, Britain and Germany
Philip's family settled in a house in the Paris suburb of Saint-Cloud lent to them by his wealthy aunt, Princess George of Greece and Denmark.[13] During his time there, Philip was first educated at The Elms, an American school in Paris run by Donald MacJannet, who described Philip as a "know it all smarty person, but always remarkably polite".[14] In Philip was sent to Britain to live with his maternal grandmother at Kensington Palace and his uncle George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven, at Lynden Manor in Bray, Berkshire.
He was then enrolled at Cheam School. Over the next three years, his four sisters married German princes and moved to Germany, his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and placed in an asylum,[16] and his father took up residence in Monte Carlo. Philip had little contact with his mother for the remainder of his childhood.[18]
In Philip was sent to Schule Schloss Salem in Germany, which had the "advantage of saving school fees", because it was owned by the family of his brother-in-law Berthold, Margrave of Baden.[19] With the rise of Nazism in Germany, Salem's Jewish founder, Kurt Hahn, fled persecution and founded Gordonstoun School in Scotland, to which Philip moved after two terms at Salem.[20] In , his sister Cecilie; her husband, Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse; their two sons; and Georg Donatus's mother were killed in an air crash at Ostend; Philip, then 16 years old, attended the funeral in Darmstadt.[21] Cecilie and Georg Donatus were members of the Nazi Party.[22] The following year, Philip's uncle and guardian Lord Milford Haven died of bone marrow cancer.[23] Milford Haven's younger brother Lord Louis took parental responsibility for Philip for the remainder of his youth.[24]
Philip did not speak Greek because he had left Greece as an infant.
Prince philip duke of edinburgh net worth at death Flow Space. ATX TV. Search for:. Pat Sajak has also bagged roles in movies and appeared as a guest host on other game shows.In he said that he "could understand a certain amount".[25] He stated that he thought of himself as Danish and spoke mostly English, while his family was multilingual.[25] Known for his charm in his youth, Philip was linked to several women, including Osla Benning.[26]
Naval and wartime service
After leaving Gordonstoun in early , Philip completed a term as a cadet at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, then repatriated to Greece, living with his mother in Athens for a month in mid At the behest of King George&#;II of Greece, his first cousin, he returned to Britain in September to resume training for the Royal Navy.
He graduated from Dartmouth the next year as the best cadet in his course.[28] During the Second World War, he continued to serve in the British forces, while two of his brothers-in-law, Prince Christoph of Hesse and Berthold, Margrave of Baden, fought on the opposing German side. Philip was appointed as a midshipman in January He spent four months on the battleship HMS&#;Ramillies, protecting convoys of the Australian Expeditionary Force in the Indian Ocean, followed by shorter postings on HMS&#;Kent, on HMS&#;Shropshire, and in British Ceylon.
After the invasion of Greece by Italy in October , he was transferred from the Indian Ocean to the battleship HMS&#;Valiant in the Mediterranean Fleet.
Philip was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant on 1&#;February after a series of courses at Portsmouth, in which he gained the top grade in four out of five sections of the qualifying examination.[32][33] Among other engagements, he was involved in the Battle of Crete and was mentioned in dispatches for his service during the Battle of Cape Matapan, in which he controlled the battleship's searchlights.
He was also awarded the Greek War Cross.[28] In June , he was appointed to the destroyer HMS&#;Wallace, which was involved in convoy escort tasks on the east coast of Britain, as well as the Allied invasion of Sicily.[34]
Promotion to lieutenant followed on 16&#;July [35] In October of the same year, aged 21, Philip became first lieutenant of HMS Wallace.
He was one of the youngest first lieutenants in the Royal Navy. During the invasion of Sicily, in July , as second-in-command of Wallace, he saved his ship from a night bomber attack. He devised a plan to launch a raft with smoke floats that successfully distracted the bombers, allowing the ship to slip away unnoticed.[34] In , he moved on to the new destroyer, HMS&#;Whelp, where he saw service with the British Pacific Fleet in the 27th Destroyer Flotilla.[36][37] He was present in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed.
Philip returned to the United Kingdom on the Whelp in January and was posted as an instructor at HMS&#;Royal Arthur, the Petty Officers' School in Corsham, Wiltshire.[38]
Marriage
Further information: Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten
In King George&#;VI and Queen Elizabeth toured the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.
During the visit, the Queen and Lord Louis Mountbatten asked his nephew Philip to escort the royal couple's daughters, year-old Elizabeth and 9-year-old Margaret, who were Philip's third cousins through Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and second cousins once removed through King Christian&#;IX of Denmark.[39] Philip and Elizabeth had first met as children in at the wedding of Elizabeth's uncle Prince George, Duke of Kent, to Philip's first cousin, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark.
Prince harry net worth The man who announced his retirement after the season was first introduced on television by Oprah. Fashion News. Read More:. From real estate mavens and fashion PR queens to content creators and resilient entrepreneurs, these women bring a diverse range of experiences to RHONY.After their meeting, Elizabeth fell in love with Philip, and they began to exchange letters.[40]
Eventually, in the summer of , Philip asked George&#;VI for his daughter's hand in marriage. The King granted his request, provided that any formal engagement be delayed until Elizabeth's 21st birthday the following April.[41] By March , Philip had adopted the surname Mountbatten from his mother's family and had stopped using his Greek and Danish royal titles upon becoming a naturalised British subject.
The engagement was announced to the public on 9&#;July
The engagement attracted some controversy; Philip had no financial standing, was foreign-born, and had sisters who had married German noblemen with Nazi links.[43]Marion Crawford wrote: "Some of the King's advisors did not think him good enough for her. He was a prince without a home or kingdom.
Some of the papers played long and loud tunes on the string of Philip's foreign origin." Later biographies reported that Elizabeth's mother had reservations about the union initially and teased Philip as "the Hun".[45] In later life, however, she told the biographer Tim Heald that Philip was "an English gentleman".
Though Philip appeared "always to have regarded himself as an Anglican",[47] and he had attended Anglican services with his classmates and relations in England and throughout his Royal Navy days, he was baptised in the Greek Orthodox Church.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, wanted to "regularise" Philip's position by officially receiving him into the Church of England, which he did in October [49] The day before the wedding, the King bestowed the style of Royal Highness on Philip, and, on the morning of the wedding, 20&#;November , he was made the Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich of Greenwich in the County of London.[50] Consequently, being already a Knight of the Garter, between 19 and 20&#;November , he bore the unusual style Lieutenant His Royal Highness Sir Philip Mountbatten and is so described in the letters patent of 20&#;November [50]
Philip and Elizabeth were married in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey, recorded and broadcast by BBC radio to &#;million people around the world.
In post-war Britain, it was unacceptable for any of Philip's German relations, including his three surviving sisters, to be invited to the wedding. After their marriage, Philip and Elizabeth took residence at Clarence House. Their first two children were born before Elizabeth's accession in Prince Charles in November and Princess Anne in August The couple's marriage was the longest of any British monarch, lasting over 73 years until Philip died in [52][53] Concerned by her father's poor health, Elizabeth insisted that Philip give up smoking, which he did cold turkey on their wedding day.[54]
Philip was introduced to the House of Lords on 21&#;July ,[55] immediately before his uncle Louis Mountbatten, who had been made Earl Mountbatten of Burma.[56] Philip ostensibly never spoke in the House of Lords.[57] He, his sons and other royals ceased to be members of the House of Lords following the House of Lords Act , although Philip's former brother-in-law, Lord Snowdon, remained in the House.[58]
Early duties
After his honeymoon at the Mountbatten family home, Broadlands, Philip returned to the navy, at first in a desk job at the Admiralty and later on a staff course at the Naval Staff College, Greenwich.[59] From he was stationed in Malta (residing at Villa Guardamangia) after being posted as the first lieutenant of the destroyer HMS&#;Chequers, the lead ship of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Fleet.
He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 16&#;July and given command of the frigate HMS&#;Magpie.[62] Philip was promoted to commander on 30&#;June ,[63] though his active naval career had ended in July [64]
With the King in ill health, Elizabeth and Philip were both appointed to the Privy Council on 4&#;November , after a coast-to-coast tour of Canada.
At the end of January , the couple set out on a tour of the Commonwealth. They were in Kenya when Elizabeth's father died on 6&#;February , and she became queen. Philip broke the news to Elizabeth at Sagana Lodge, and the royal party immediately returned to the United Kingdom.[66]
In December , Philip was initiated into Freemasonry by the Worshipful Master of Navy Lodge No&#;, honouring a commitment he had made to George&#;VI, who had made it clear that he expected Philip to maintain the tradition of royal patronage of Freemasonry.
Prince philip duke of edinburgh net worth Prince Philip. MONEY You know how some people just seem to know exactly what you need before you even ask? Notre Dame For the Win.However, according to one journalist writing in , Philip's mother-in-law and his uncle Lord Mountbatten had unfavourable views of Freemasonry; after his initiation, Philip took no further part in the organisation. Although as the consort of the Queen, he might in time have been made Grand Master of British Freemasonry, Elizabeth's cousin Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, assumed that role in Philip's son Charles apparently never joined Freemasonry.
Consort of the Queen
Royal house
Elizabeth's accession to the throne brought up the question of the name of the royal house, as Elizabeth would typically have taken Philip's last name upon marriage.
Lord Mountbatten advocated the name House of Mountbatten. Philip suggested House of Edinburgh after his ducal title.[68] When Elizabeth's grandmother Queen Mary heard of this, she informed Winston Churchill, who later advised Elizabeth to issue a royal proclamation declaring that the royal house was to remain known as the House of Windsor.
Philip privately complained, "I am nothing but a bloody amoeba. I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children."[69]
In February , the Queen issued an Order in Council declaring that Mountbatten-Windsor would be the surname of the couple's male-line descendants who are not styled as Royal Highness or titled as prince or princess.[70] While it seems Elizabeth had "absolutely set her heart" on such a change and had it in mind for some time, it occurred only 11 days before the birth of their third child, Prince Andrew, and only after three months of protracted correspondence between English constitutional expert Edward Iwi (who averred that, without such a change, the royal child would be born with "the Badge of Bastardy") and Harold Macmillan, who had attempted to refute Iwi's arguments.[71] Elizabeth and Philip's fourth child, Prince Edward, was born in March [72]
Six months after she acceded to the throne, Elizabeth announced that Philip was to have "place, pre-eminence and precedence" next to her "on all occasions and in all meetings, except where otherwise provided by Act of Parliament".[73] She also intervened to ensure that Philip would serve as regent for their son Charles in the event of her unexpected death.[74] Parliament passed a bill to that effect in [75] Contrary to rumours over the years, Elizabeth and Philip were said by insiders to have had a strong relationship throughout their marriage, despite the challenges of Elizabeth's reign.[76][77] Elizabeth referred to Philip in a speech on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee in as her "constant strength and guide".[77]
Philip received a Parliamentary annuity (of £, since [fn 3]) to meet official expenses in carrying out public duties.
The annuity was unaffected by the reform of royal finances under the Sovereign Grant Act [78][79] Any part of the allowance that was not used to meet official expenditure was liable for tax. In practice, the entire allowance was used to fund his official duties.[80]
Supporting the Queen
As consort, Philip supported his wife in her duties as sovereign, accompanying her to ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament in various countries, state dinners, and tours abroad.
As chairman of the Coronation Commission, he was the first member of the royal family to fly in a helicopter, visiting the troops that were to take part in the ceremony.[81] Philip was not himself crowned in the coronation service, but knelt before Elizabeth, with her hands enclosing his, and swore to be her "liege man of life and limb".[82] For six months, spanning and , they toured the Commonwealth; as was customary during previous tours, the children remained in Britain.[83]
In the early s, Philip's sister-in-law, Princess Margaret, considered marrying a divorced older man, Peter Townsend.
The press accused Philip of being hostile to the match, to which he replied: "I haven't done anything."[84] Eventually, Margaret and Townsend parted.[83] In Margaret marriedAntony Armstrong-Jones, who was created Earl of Snowdon the following year. They divorced in ; Margaret did not remarry.[85]
In Philip and Kurt Hahn founded The Duke of Edinburgh's Award to give young people "a sense of responsibility to themselves and their communities".
In the same year, he also established the Commonwealth Study Conferences. From to , he travelled around the world aboard the newly commissioned HMY&#;Britannia, during which he opened the Summer Olympics in Melbourne and visited the Antarctic, becoming the first royal to cross the Antarctic Circle.[86] Elizabeth and the children remained in Britain.
Prince philip duke of edinburgh net worth today The pay gap led to her passing over the role and it ultimately went to a newcomer. Oct 3, Mar 25, Nov 20,On the return leg of the journey, Philip's private secretary, Mike Parker, was sued for divorce by his wife. As with Townsend, the press still portrayed divorce as a scandal, and eventually, Parker resigned. He later said that Philip was very supportive and "the Queen was wonderful throughout. She regarded divorce as a sadness, not a hanging offence."[87] In a public show of support, Elizabeth created Parker a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.[88]
Further press reports claimed that the royal couple were drifting apart, which enraged Philip and dismayed Elizabeth, who issued a strongly worded denial.[89] She granted him the style and title of a Prince of the United Kingdom by Letters Patent on 22&#;February ; it was gazetted that Philip was to be known as "His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh".[90] Philip was appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada on 14&#;October , taking his Oath of Allegiance before the Queen in person at her Canadian residence, Rideau Hall.
Remarks he made two years later to the Canadian Medical Association on the subject of youth and sport were taken as a suggestion that Canadian children were out of shape. This was at first considered "tactless", but Philip was later admired for his encouragement of physical fitness.[92] While in Canada in , he spoke about his views on republicanism:
It is a complete misconception to imagine that the monarchy exists in the interests of the monarch.
It doesn't. It exists in the interests of the people. If at any time any nation decides that the system is unacceptable, then it is up to them to change it.[93]
In Philip attended the National Eisteddfod of Wales wearing a long green robe, where he was initiated as an Honorary Ovate by the Archdruid of Wales Edgar Phillips through his bardic namePhilip Meirionnydd, to reflect his title of Earl of Merioneth.[94] In he became the first member of the royal family to be interviewed on television, after he appeared on Panorama to answer questions by Richard Dimbleby about the Commonwealth Technical Training Week, an initiative of which he was patron.[95] In he made a similar appearance on Meet the Press during a tour of North America.[96]
Charities and patronages
Philip was patron of some organisations, particularly focused on the environment, industry, sport, and education.
His first solo engagement as Duke of Edinburgh was in March , presenting prizes at the boxing finals of the London Federation of Boys' Clubs at the Royal Albert Hall.[97] He was president of the National Playing Fields Association (now known as Fields in Trust) for 64 years, from until his grandson Prince William took over the role in [98] He was appointed a fellow of the Royal Society in [99][] In , he became patron of The Industrial Society (since renamed The Work Foundation).[] In the same year, and after his father-in-law's death, he took over the role of the Ranger of Windsor Great Park, overseeing its protection and maintenance.[] From to , Philip was president of The Football Association and also served two terms as president of the Marylebone Cricket Club, with his tenures starting in and , respectively.[][] In the same decade, he became the first patron of Lord's Taverners, a youth cricket and disability sports charity, for which he organised fundraising events.[] Between and Philip was the president of BAFTA.[] He helped found the Australian Conservation Foundation in and the World Wildlife Fund in and served as the latter's UK president from to , international president from , and president emeritus from [86][] He was also president of the Zoological Society of London for two decades and was appointed an honorary fellow in [][] Despite his involvement in initiatives for conserving nature, he was also criticised for practices such as fox hunting and shooting of game birds[] and the killing of a tiger in India in [] He was president of the International Equestrian Federation from to [] In he became world champion in four-in-handdriving with the British national team.[] He served as chancellor of the universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Salford, and Wales.[] In , at the suggestion of Harold Wilson, Philip became chair to a scheme set up for awarding industrial innovations, which later became known as The Queen's Awards for Enterprise.[] In the same year, Philip became president of the Council of Engineering Institutions and in that capacity he assisted with the inception of the Fellowship of Engineering (later the Royal Academy of Engineering), of which he later became the senior fellow.[] He also commissioned the Prince Philip Designers Prize and the Prince Philip Medal to recognise designers and engineers with exceptional contributions.[][] In he was involved with the founding of The Maritime Trust for restoring and preserving historic British ships.[] In the British Heart Foundation thanked Philip for being its patron for 55 years, during which time, in addition to organising fundraisers, he "supported the creation of nine BHF-funded centres of excellence".[] He was an honorary fellow of St&#;Edmund's College, Cambridge.[]
Charles and Diana
At the beginning of Philip wrote to his son Charles counselling him to make up his mind to either propose to Lady Diana Spencer or break off their courtship.[] Charles felt pressured by his father to make a decision and did so, proposing to Diana in February.[]They married five months later.
By the marriage had broken down. Elizabeth and Philip hosted a meeting between Charles and Diana, trying to effect a reconciliation, but without success.[] Philip wrote to Diana, expressing his disappointment at Charles's and her extra-marital affairs and asking her to examine both his and her behaviour from the other's point of view.[] She found the letters hard to take but appreciated that he acted with good intent.[] Charles and Diana separated in [] and divorced in []
A year after the divorce, Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on 31&#;August At the time, Philip was on holiday at Balmoral with the extended royal family.
In their grief, Diana's sons, Princes William and Harry, wanted to attend church, so Elizabeth and Philip took them that morning.[] For five days, the royal couple shielded their grandsons from the ensuing press interest by keeping them at Balmoral, where they could grieve in private.[] The royal family's seclusion caused public dismay,[] but the public mood changed after a live broadcast made by Elizabeth on 5&#;September.[] Uncertain as to whether they should walk behind their mother's coffin during the funeral procession, William and Harry hesitated.[] Philip told William: "If you don't walk, I think you'll regret it later.
If I walk, will you walk with me?"[] On the day of the funeral, Philip, William, Harry, Charles, and Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, walked through London behind her gun carriage.[] Over the next few years, Mohamed Al-Fayed, whose son Dodi Fayed was also killed in the crash, claimed that Philip had ordered the death of Diana and that the accident was staged.
The inquest into Diana's death concluded in that there was no evidence of a conspiracy.[]
Longevity
In April , Philip became the longest-serving British royal consort, surpassing Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of George&#;III.[] He became the oldest-ever male British royal in February and the third-longest-lived member of the British royal family (following Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) in April [] Personally, he was not enthused about living an extremely long life, remarking in a interview (when he was 79) that he could not "imagine anything worse" and had "no desire whatsoever" to become a centenarian, saying "bits of me are falling off already".[]
In Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital, London, for a chest infection; he walked into the hospital unaided, recovered quickly,[] and was discharged three days later.[] After the Evening Standard reported that Philip had prostate cancer, Buckingham Palace—which usually refuses to comment on health rumours—denied the story[] and the paper retracted it.[][]
In June , in an interview marking his 90th birthday, Philip said that he would now slow down and reduce his duties, stating that he had "done [his] bit".[] The Queen gave him the title Lord High Admiral for his 90th birthday.[] While staying at Sandringham House in December , Philip suffered chest pains and was taken to the cardio-thoracic unit at Papworth Hospital, Cambridgeshire, where he underwent successful coronary angioplasty and stenting.[] He was discharged a few days later.[]
In June , during the celebrations in honour of his wife's diamond jubilee, Philip was taken from Windsor Castle to King Edward VII's Hospital suffering from a bladder infection.[] He was subsequently discharged.[] After a recurrence of infection in August , while staying at Balmoral Castle, he was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for five nights as a precautionary measure.[] In June , Philip was admitted to the London Clinic for an exploratory operation on his abdomen, spending 11 days in hospital.[] In May , he appeared in public with a bandage on his right hand after a "minor procedure" was performed in Buckingham Palace the preceding day.[]Tony Abbott's surprise decision to make Philip a Knight of the Order of Australia was widely criticised in the country and contributed to Abbott's ouster as Australian prime minister.[][][] In June , Philip was taken from Windsor to London and admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital after being diagnosed with an infection.[] He spent two nights in the hospital and was unable to attend the State Opening of Parliament and Royal Ascot.[][]
Final years and retirement
Philip retired from royal duties on 2&#;August , meeting Royal Marines in his final solo public engagement, aged Since , he had completed 22, solo engagements.
British prime minister Theresa May thanked him for "a remarkable lifetime of service".[][] On 20&#;November , he celebrated his 70th wedding anniversary with Elizabeth, which made her the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary.[]
In April , Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital for a planned hip replacement.
This came after the Duke missed the annual Maundy and Easter Sunday services. Princess Anne spent about 50 minutes in the hospital and afterwards said her father was "on good form". He was discharged the next day.[] In May that year, he attended the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and was able to walk with Elizabeth unaided.[] That October, he also accompanied Elizabeth to the wedding of their granddaughter Princess Eugenie of York with Jack Brooksbank,[] with The Telegraph reporting that Philip works on a "wake up and see how I feel" basis when deciding whether to attend an event or not.[]
In January , Philip was involved in a car collision as he drove out onto a main road near the Sandringham Estate.
An official statement said he was uninjured. An eyewitness who helped him out of his car said there was "a little bit of blood".[] The driver and a passenger of the other car were injured and taken to hospital.[] Philip attended hospital the next morning as a precaution.[] He apologised,[] and three weeks later voluntarily surrendered his driving licence.[][] In February, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that prosecuting Philip would not be in the public interest.[] Philip was still allowed to drive around private estates, and was seen behind the wheel in the grounds of Windsor Castle in April []
In December , Philip stayed at King Edward VII's Hospital and received treatment for a "pre-existing condition" in a visit described by Buckingham Palace as a "precautionary measure".[] He had not been seen in public since attending Lady Gabriella Windsor's wedding in May [] A photo of the royal couple as they isolated at Windsor Castle during the COVID pandemic was released ahead of his 99th birthday in June [] In July , he stepped down as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles, a position he had held since He was succeeded by his daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.[]
In January , Philip and Elizabeth were vaccinated against COVID by a household doctor at Windsor Castle.[] In February , Philip was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital as a "precautionary measure" after feeling unwell;[] he was visited by Prince Charles.[] Buckingham Palace confirmed that Philip was "responding to treatment" for an infection.[][] In March, Philip was transferred by ambulance to St&#;Bartholomew's Hospital to continue treatment for an infection, and to undergo "testing and observation" relating to a pre-existing heart condition.[] He underwent a successful procedure for his heart condition[] and was transferred back to King Edward VII's Hospital.[] He was discharged a week later and returned to Windsor Castle.[]