The drama at Buckingham Palace and the subsequent announcement of Prince Philip's retirement plans have had ramifications a world away on Barnaby Joyce's hopes for a home-cooked meal.

The acting prime minister was returning from a trip to Whyalla in South Australia on Thursday afternoon en route to his home in Tamworth in northern NSW when his plane was diverted to Canberra, in anticipation of some kind of royal announcement.

"I was happily on my way back to Tamworth until my media adviser told me to happily make my way to Canberra and now I'm not very happy," Mr Joyce jokingly told reporters in Canberra.

Prince Philip has announced he is stepping down from royal duties.

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Mr Joyce expressed his relief that news was unremarkable in the end.

Speculation the Duke of Edinburgh had died had sent the internet into a flap on Thursday.

"We wish him all the very best. It says something about an individual that they get to the age of 95 before they decide to officially retire," Mr Joyce said.

"It's something to aim for."

Mr Joyce admitted he had booked the prime minister's press conference venue known as the Blue Room at Parliament House on the off chance he would have to make an announcement about the Queen.

"But we ended up ringing the bell in the corridor (in the press gallery)" he said, laughing.

"It de-escalated."

AP

Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer told AAP the palace's announcement was very noteworthy.

This was because it means Australia's last living Australian Field Marshal will now longer participate in public events ahead of the main centenaries of the First World War.

Robert Menzies made the Duke of Edinburgh an Australian Field Marshal in 1954 in a purely ceremonial gesture. It's the highest rank in the Army.

Related Prince Philip will no longer carry out public engagements: Buckingham Palace

Liberal backbencher Eric Abetz said Philip had touched the lives of thousands and provided lifelong skills through the Duke of Edinburgh awards.

He criticised the way media organisations handled the lead up to the announcement.

"Sensationalised reporting turned speculation into fact and even reports about a death are outrageous and the epitome of the fake news culture that people are tired of," Senator Abetz said.