Politics
19:17, 02-Aug-2017
Britain's Prince Philip to carry out final royal engagement before retirement
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Britain's 96-year-old Prince Philip, who has been at Queen Elizabeth II's side for decades, officially retires on Wednesday.
The Prince, the longest serving consort in British history, will attend a parade of Royal Marines at Buckingham Palace, bringing to an end over 22,000 solo public engagements, more than 600 solo overseas visits, and 5,500 speeches.
The former Royal Navy officer has served as patron or member of 780 charities and represented the UK at thousands of events both home and abroad. During that time, he gained a reputation for controversial off the cuff remarks considered undiplomatic at best.
The retirement of Prince Philip comes at a time of change for the British royal family. CGTN correspondent Catherine Drew reports that the 91-year-old Queen has already handed some of her royal duties to younger family members. However, there is no suggestion she is ready for retirement.
Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip may choose to attend public engagements alongside the Queen from time to time, but for now, at the age of 96, he embarks on a new phase of life, his retirement.