Prince Philip in health alert: Duke pulls out of Windsor royal engagement
PRINCE Philip pulled out of a royal public engagement with the Queen at Windsor Castle due to ill health. The Duke of Edinburgh was due to mark Prince Andrew taking over his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.
Prince Philip attends his final engagement as royal consort
Philip, 96, was expected to make an appearance at the ceremony but it is understood he was not able to go as he was “feeling under the weather”.
The Duke of Edinburgh announced last year he would be taking a step back from public life, but would still attend royal occasions on a case-by-case basis.
Yesterday’s event in the grand reception room at Windsor Castle, saw the Queen, accompanied by Prince Andrew mark the appointment of the Duke of York as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.
Prince Philip, who has been married to the Queen for more than 70 years, had been Colonel of the Grenadier Guards since 1975.
Prince Philip pulled out of a royal public engagement due to ill health
Before taking a step back from royal events last year Philip had attended 22,219 solo engagements since his royal career officially began in 1952.
Philip’s illness, reported in the Daily Mail, is not thought to be serious but due to being 96-years-old, doctors do not want to take any chances.
The Duke of Edinburgh spent two nights at the King Edward VII hospital last June for treatment for "an infection arising from a pre-existing condition".
It was understood to have a recurrence of a bladder infection which laid him low during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Prince Andrew was appointed as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards
Queen and The Duke of York inspecting members of the Grenadier Guards at Windsor Castle
In 2013 Philip was admitted to hospital for ‘exploratory’ abdominal surgery.
He was also seen looking frail at last November’s Remembrance Day service.
He appeared to have trouble standing, as he watched the service from from a balcony at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Whitehall alongside the Queen.
Prince Philip stands with the Queen at the Cenotaph
It was an emotional day for the royal couple as Prince Charles took on the Queen’s duty of laying wreaths for the first time as the monarch slows down her work.
Prince Philip appeared to be propping himself and leaning on a wall to support himself while watching the ceremony, while the Queen seemed to tell him to sit down.
Express.co.uk contacted Buckingham Palace who declined to comment.