On Thursday morning in England, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, appeared alongside his wife, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in what will be one of his final official public appearances. Rumors that the prince had died permeated the internet on Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, Buckingham Palace announced that the 95-year-old prince would take a step back from public life.
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“The Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year. In taking this decision, The Duke has the full support of The Queen,” said a statement from the palace.
On Thursday, the prince and queen were spotted at St. James’s Palace for the Order of Merit service. Multiple media outlets reported that the prince was in good spirits and reportedly joked about his coming retirement.
“I’m sorry to hear you’re standing down,” a noted mathematician reportedly said to the prince.
“Well, I can’t stand up much longer,” Prince Philip allegedly joked back.
The prince will continue with his previously scheduled engagements through August.