Prince Philip Makes His Last Solo Appearance, After 65 Years in the Public Eye<br />In the end, after hours of waiting and anticipation, the palace announced the then-95-year-old prince was retiring, even as Buckingham Palace said<br />that he might still occasionally attend public events at the queen’s side.<br />2, 2017<br />Prince Philip, who on Wednesday made his final solo public appearance before retiring from his official duties as the consort of Queen Elizabeth II, recently quipped<br />that he was "the world’s most experienced plaque-unveiler." He could be forgiven for finally taking a break.<br />The report prompted breathless rumors that a royal personage may have died,<br />and members of the global news media scrambled to Buckingham Palace in the predawn hours.<br />At the time, Prime Minister Theresa May offered him "our deepest gratitude<br />and good wishes." Part diplomat, part royal consort, Prince Philip has served as a patron, a president or a member of more than 780 organizations.<br />Offered a gift by a Kenyan woman in 1984, he asked: "You are a woman, aren’t you?" Asked his opinion of Beijing, while on a tour of China in 1986, his reply was<br />succinct: "Ghastly." "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?" he said to a driving instructor in Oban, Scotland, in 1995.<br />On Wednesday, The Daily Telegraph, a conservative-leaning newspaper known for its royal coverage, accidentally published an article on its website stating<br />that Prince Philip had died, commemorating his life and detailing his funeral.
