POOL New
Prince Philip, the 95-year-old husband on Queen Elizabeth, is to retire completely from public life, it was announced Thursday morning. Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that while Philip would attend “previously scheduled engagements” between now and August, “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.” Philip is patron, president or a member of more than 780 organizations, with which he will continue to be associated, although “he will no longer play an active role by attending engagements,” the palace said. Philip, Elizabeth’s husband of nearly 70 years, has a history of making politically incorrect quips in public; while on an official visit to China, he famously told a group of British exchange students living in the city of Xian: “If you stay here much longer you’ll all be slitty-eyed.” However, he has also earned a reputation as tireless working royal. As recently as Wednesday, he was doing official business, opening a new seating area at a London cricket ground and declaring: “You’re about to see the world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler.”