I usually check Twitter soon after I wake up, just to see what people are talking about in the wee hours of morning on the East Coast. Sometimes there’s something British or European trending, which is what happened this morning. “Queen Elizabeth” and #RoyalFamily and #BuckinghamPalace were all trending and I got so freaked out. Apparently, the Queen summoned her entire staff to Buckingham Palace this morning for what was described as an “emergency meeting.” Sources told media outlets that there was no cause for alarm and that the Queen and Prince Philip were actually fine (fine for a 91 year old and a 95 year old). As it turns out, the meeting was sort of a retirement announcement for Philip.
Prince Philip is retiring from public life. The 95-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth is to step down from his duties as her public consort after 70 years of service.
A short statement issued Thursday morning by Buckingham Palace read, “His Royal Highness 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.
“Prince Philip will attend previously scheduled engagements between now and August, both individually and accompanying The Queen. Thereafter, The Duke will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagements, although he may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time. The Duke of Edinburgh is Patron, President or a member of over 780 organisations, with which he will continue to be associated, although he will no longer play an active role by attending engagements.
“Her Majesty will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements with the support of members of the Royal Family.”
[From People]
It really does feel like a lot of stuff is coming to a head this year in particular for the royal family. I tend to think the Queen’s “heavy cold” over the holidays was a wake-up call for a lot of people in and around the Windsors, and my feeling has always been that the Queen and Prince Philip prop each other up psychologically, and that when one of them goes, the other one will likely pass within a few months. What happens when the Queen’s partner and husband and confidante of 70 years is just chilling out at home all day, watching the telly? In any case… Philip is turning 96 next month. I’m totally fine with him retiring. While Philip got a lot of sh-t over the years for his rude and racist utterances, you also can’t deny the fact that he fundamentally changed the monarchy and brought the institution into a modern age. Let him enjoy his last years in peace.
Also: 780 patronages, damn. William and Kate better step up and take on a higher workload, starting now.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Source: celebitchy.com
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