The 96-year-old Duke of Edinburgh has taken his first steps toward retirement, with the last of his 22,219 solo public engagements scheduled for Wednesday.

"I reckon I've done my bit so I want to enjoy myself a bit now," he said shortly after announcing he would be stepping down.

Since his wife Elizabeth II became queen in 1952, Prince Philip has also attended countless events by her side, but the nonagenarians have increasingly handed over responsibilities to the younger royals.

"Prince Philip is entitled to slow down a bit," read an editorial in the Daily Telegraph. "This is a man who has always put his country first."

Philip's final engagement - at a charity event with the Royal Marines - will honor his own military background as a naval officer during World War II. He has also served as captain general of the Royal Marines since 1953, when he took over from the queen's father, King George VI, who had died the year before.

Philip has carried out 637 overseas visits on his own in the past 65 years, given almost 5,500 speeches, and served as patron, president or member of more than 780 organizations.

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Elizabeth has called Philip, her husband of almost 70 years and the longest-serving consort in British history, "my strength and stay." Good for her, then, that Philip remains healthy for a man of his age despite his two-night hospitalization in June for the treatment of an undisclosed infection.

Though the queen supports her husband's decision to retire, she has no plans to do the same as her nation navigates its Brexit from the European Union.

"Her Majesty will continue to carry out a full program of official engagements with the support of members of the royal family," the palace announced earlier this year.

And Brits may not have seen the last of their aged prince. A spokesperson said that, though Philip's string of individual events has come to an end, "he may choose to attend engagements alongside the queen from time to time."

The life of Prince Philip Prince of Greece and Denmark Philip has held royal titles since his birth on June 10, 1921, in Corfu. As the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, he was born the Prince of Greece and Denmark - titles he would relinquish upon marrying Princess Elizabeth. After fleeing unrest in Greece at just 18 months, Philip went on to become a naturalized British citizen.

The life of Prince Philip The Queen's consort As the Queen's husband of nearly 70 years, Prince Philip is the longest-serving British consort (companion to the sovereign). The couple was married on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey, at which point Philip was given the title of Duke of Edinburgh. Less than four years later, Princess Elizabeth had ascended to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI.

The life of Prince Philip Family man Philip and Elizabeth had two children, Charles and Anne (pictured), prior to Elizabeth becoming queen, and two more after, Andrew and Edward. As their first-born, Prince Charles is next in line for the throne.

The life of Prince Philip Diverse patronage Upon his retirement in August 2017, Prince Philip has served as patron or president to some 800 organizations. These reflect his interests in conservation, sport, the military and engineering. He also established The Duke of Edinburgh Award in 1956, which aims to instill confidence and new skills in youn g people.

The life of Prince Philip Royally outspoken As someone who has taken part in many official ceremonies and photo ops, Prince Philip has developed a reputation for being gaffe-prone at best, and insulting at worst. Upon meeting a group of Australian Aborigines in 2002, the prince asked if they were "still throwing spears at each other?"

The life of Prince Philip Great-grandfather Princess Charlotte, pictured here with her mother the Duchess of Cambridge, is one of Prince Philip's five great-grandchildren. He has eight grandchildren, including Charlotte's father, Prince William.

The life of Prince Philip Long-lasting love In November 2017, Prince Philip and the Queen will mark their 70th wedding anniversary. Philip celebrated his 96th birthday in June and stepped down from royal duties in August. Author: Matt Zuvela



Hi six and a half decades of diplomacy were not without controversy, however. His propensity for gaffes caused no end of headlines and official apologies from Buckingham Palace. In 1997, he called German Chancellor Helmut Kohl "Reichskanzler" - the title taken by Adolf Hitler. He once asked an Aboriginal Australian whether indigenous people "still throw spears at each other" and told a teenager with sky-high dreams that he was "too fat to be an astronaut."

In 1995, he publicly wondered whether Scots could be kept "off the booze long enough" to pass a driving test. And once told a group of British exchange students in China they would be "all-slitty-eyed," if they stayed in the country much longer.

Generally, Philip was forgiven for his faux pas. "Humor is important," as the Telegraph put it. "The Duke's has brightened these decades."

mkg/rt (AFP, dpa)