Duke of Edinburgh’s appearances and health since retirement
In recent years, Philip has been involved in a car crash, had a hip operation and issued messages praising key workers.
Here is the timeline of Philip’s appearances and health since his retirement from public life in August 2017.
May 4 2017 – Buckingham Palace announces the duke is to retire. Tributes are paid to his years of royal duty.
May 10 and May 17 2017 – Days later, Philip, then 95, is out and about carriage-driving at Windsor and at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
June 10 2017 – The duke celebrates his 96th birthday.
June 13 2017 – The Queen and Philip visit Slough railway station in Berkshire to mark the 175th anniversary of the first rail journey by a monarch.
June 17 2017 – The duke helps the Queen mark her official 91st birthday at the annual Trooping the Colour parade.
June 20 2017 – Philip spends the day at Royal Ascot, where temperatures are so sweltering that the dress code in the Royal Enclosure is relaxed for the first time.
But that evening, he is admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London as a precautionary measure, for treatment for an infection arising from a pre-existing condition.
June 21 2017 – The duke misses the State Opening of Parliament. The Prince of Wales steps in to accompany the Queen.
June 22 2017 – Philip is discharged from hospital after a two-night stay.
June 25 2017 – In his first public outing since being in hospital, the duke drives himself to the Royal Windsor Cup Final at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park.
August 2 2017 – On his final official engagement as he retires from public duties, Philip strides with ease around the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in the pouring rain, meeting Royal Marines.
November 11 2017 – The duke attends the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.
November 12 2017 – Philip joins the Queen as she watches from a balcony for the first time rather than laying a wreath at the Remembrance Sunday ceremony.
Concerns are expressed for his health when he appears to lean against a pillar for support while standing during the Whitehall service.
November 20 2017 – A week later, the duke is carriage-driving at Windsor on the day of his platinum wedding anniversary, and he and the Queen celebrate in the evening with a party for more than 100 family and friends.
December 21 2017 – The Queen and the duke travel by train from London to Norfolk for the start of their traditional Christmas break at Sandringham.
December 25 2017 – The duke joins other members of the royal family at church, as Prince Harry’s bride-to-be, Meghan Markle, spends her first Christmas with the Windsors.
Philip attends Sunday church throughout his stay in Sandringham in January and early February.
March 22 2018 – Philip reportedly pulls out of a rare engagement with the Queen and Duke of York, marking Andrew’s new role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, because he is under the weather.
March 29 2018 – The duke misses the Maundy Thursday service with the Queen because of a problem with his hip.
April 1 2018 – Philip is not present at church in Windsor on Easter Sunday.
April 3 2018 – The duke is admitted to the King Edward VII’s Hospital ahead of a planned operation on his hip.
April 4 2018 – Buckingham Palace says the duke has had a successful hip replacement operation, and is progressing well, but will remain in hospital for several days.
“He is comfortable and in good spirits,” says a spokeswoman.
April 13 2018 – Philip leaves hospital, waving to the media as he is driven away to Windsor Castle to recuperate.
May 11 2018 – The duke makes his first public appearance since convalescing after his surgery when he is seen at the wheel of his Land Rover Freelander, chatting to the Queen, at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
May 19 2018 – Philip walks unaided as he attends the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in Windsor.
June 10 2018 – Philip turns 97.
October 11 2018 – Buckingham Palace tweets a photo of the duke meeting the Head of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at Windsor Castle.
October 12 2018 – Philip attends the wedding of his granddaughter, Princess Eugenie.
November 14 2018 – Philip joins the Queen at a glittering private black-tie party held for the Prince of Wales on his 70th birthday at Buckingham Palace, where the monarch pays tribute to their eldest son on behalf of them both.
December 19 2018 – The duke is seen being driven to Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s annual Christmas lunch.
December 25 2018 – Philip misses the royals’ traditional Christmas Day outing to church but is said to be in good health.
January 17 2019 – The duke is involved in a car crash when the Land Rover Freelander he is driving flips over after being hit by another vehicle carrying two women and a baby near the Sandringham estate.
January 19 2019 – Photographs emerge of the duke driving a Land Rover at Sandringham without wearing a seatbelt just two days after the crash.
January 27 2019 – It emerges that the duke has written to passenger Emma Fairweather wishing her a “speedy recovery from a very distressing experience”.
February 9 2019 – Buckingham Palace announces that the duke has voluntarily surrendered his driving licence “after careful consideration”.
February 14 2019 – The Crown Prosecution Service confirms Philip will face no further action in relation to the accident.
April 19 2019 – Philip becomes the third oldest royal in British history, overtaking Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, who was 97 years and 10 months when she died in 1981.
May 7 2019 – The duke makes a rare appearance at a royal engagement, joining the Queen and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough at a luncheon for Order of Merit members at Windsor Castle.
May 8 2019 – Philip is pictured with his new great-grandson, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
May 9 2019 – The duke is seen driving a carriage at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
May 11 2019 – Philip takes his seat in the royal box with the Queen and the Duke of Sussex for the horse show’s pageant event.
May 18 2019 – The duke looks in fine form as he attends Lady Gabriella Windsor’s wedding in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
June 10 2019 – The duke turns 98.
June 21 2019 – Philip holds an audience with General Sir Nicholas Carter, who is relinquishing his appointment as Colonel Commandant of The Rifles.
November 20 2019 – The Queen and Philip reach their 72nd wedding anniversary, spending the day separately, with the monarch in London and the duke at Sandringham. On the same day, the Duke of York steps down from royal duties amid the Epstein scandal.
December 20 2019 – Philip is admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in central London for treatment relating to a “pre-existing condition”. His stay is described as a “precautionary measure” by Buckingham Palace.
December 24 2019 – Philip leaves on Christmas Eve after four nights in hospital and travels to Sandringham to spend Christmas with the Queen.
March 19 2020 – Philip travels from Sandringham to Windsor Castle to stay with the Queen ahead of the nation going into lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic.
The couple are looked after by a reduced household dubbed HMS Bubble.
April 20 2020 – In his first major statement since his retirement, Philip praises key workers, including refuse and postal staff, who have been keeping essential services running.
June 10 2020 – Philip turns 99 and is photographed with the Queen to celebrate the occasion.
July 17 2020 – The duke attends his granddaughter Princess Beatrice’s secret lockdown wedding.
July 22 2020 – In his first official engagement in more than a year, Philip takes part in a military ceremony at Windsor.
He hands over his role of Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles to the Duchess of Cornwall, who was at Highgrove.
August 4 2020 – The Queen and Philip head to Balmoral for a six-week summer break, followed by a brief stay at Sandringham in September, after which the Queen travels to Windsor in October and Philip stays in Norfolk.
November 2 2020 – Philip returns to Windsor Castle with the Queen, ready for England’s second national lockdown, after the monarch visits Sandringham for the weekend.
November 20 2020 – The Queen and the duke are pictured together to mark their 73rd wedding anniversary, looking at a celebratory card made by the Cambridge children.
December 18 2020 – Philip releases a rare public message praising teachers and school staff for their efforts teaching the nation’s children during the pandemic.
December 25 2020 – The Queen and Philip spend Christmas Day alone, with their staff at Windsor, as the coronavirus crisis escalates.
January 9 2021 – Buckingham Palace announces, during England’s third national lockdown, that the Queen and the duke have received their first Covid-19 vaccinations.
February 16 2021 – The duke is admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital on a precautionary basis after feeling unwell. Four days later he is visited by the Prince of Wales.
February 23 2021 – Seven days after the duke was admitted, the Palace say he is being treated for an infection and is “comfortable and responding to treatment”, but is not expected to leave hospital for several days.
The Earl of Wessex says the duke is a “lot better” and looking forward to getting out.
March 1 2021 – Philip is transferred in an ambulance to St Bartholomew’s Hospital for treatment for an infection and testing and observation for a pre-existing heart condition.
March 3 2021 – The duke has heart surgery.
March 5 2021 – Philip is moved back to King Edward VII’s Hospital to recuperate.
March 16 2021 – The duke leaves hospital after a month-long stay and reunites with the Queen at Windsor Castle.
