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During the course of his career as King Consort, Prince Philip had 22,219 solo engagements, gave 5,496 speeches, and wrote 14 books, making him reportedly the busiest member of the royal family in his heyday.
When he retired on August 2, 2017, he quipped that he was “the world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler.”
It is this self-deprecating sense of humour and quick wit the Prince has become so well-known for.
The Duke now spends a great deal of his time in Sandringham, Norfolk, in a cottage on the royal estate.
When was the last time Prince Philip joined the Queen at a royal event?
The last time Philip stepped out with June 24, when he joined the Queen for the Royal Windsor Cup polo patch in Egham.
Prior to that, he joined the Queen was for the Royal Wedding on May 19.
He accompanied his wife as they watched their grandson Prince Harry marry the American actress Meghan Markle.
He looked frail but chipper as he arrived at St George’s wedding smiling at crowds who gathered to wave at the family.
At that time, he was recovering from a hip replacement but seemed able to walk unaided behind the Queen as they entered the chapel.
The Queen, on the other hand, has been very active, attending the Royal Ascot, the Trooping of the Colour, and meeting US President Donald Trump, among plenty of other engagements.
However, neither the Queen nor Philip attended the christening of their third great-grandchild, Prince Louis, on July 9.
This surprising decision prompted health fears for the royal couple, but Buckingham Palace said the decision was made “some time ago” and not on health grounds.
The Queen is said to miss her husband terribly when she has to travel for work.
He spends his time reading and painting, and is surely happy to live a quiet life after so long in the public eye.
One senior courtier said: “‘The Queen feels the Duke has earned a proper retirement.
“She knows him too well — if he was still at the centre of royal life he’d feel he had to be involved.”
The couple will celebrate their 71st wedding anniversary this year.
In a touching tribute to her husband on their 50th anniversary in 1997, the Queen said: “All too often, I fear, Prince Philip has had to listen to me speaking.
“Frequently we have discussed my intended speech beforehand and, as you will imagine, his views have been expressed in a forthright manner.
“He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”
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