Announcement from Buckingham Palace?

Good on him! I wouldn't want to do the Royals "job" for any amount of money. I'm quite happy being a commoner. ?

Maybe he just doesn't want to talk to that bloody woman May again. It gives him a way out of the opening of parliament.
He probably told his wife so last night after she had seen May.

I agree with N&G and Jalima. The D of E has supported the Queen for so many years he deserves some time to himself. It's not all beer and skittles as the anti royalists would have us believe. Being constantly on show and having to turn up at events which must bore him witless at times all this well into his 90s its time to let the younger Royals take the strain.
I remember Girl comic Fairydoll and Prince Philip was a very dashing young man.

Fairydoll - this sounds familiar, Girl hadn't even come out in 1947 so I definitely spotted him before you!

Fairydoll

Well, I have to confess I was in love with Philip when I was a youngster. He appeared as a centrefold poster in my 'Girl' comic (anyone remember that comic?, ) and adorned my wall for several years. I was totally smitten. Always thought he was a fine looking man and was envious of the Queen!

Shock horror!!
96 year old to retire!
I know the government keeps raising the pension age, but this is ridiculous.



(Am I the only 'gran' who likes him?) - no you're not nanaK54
Tell it how it is - I thought some of the Gransnetters would like that!!

He may not have been stacking the shelves at B&Q or 'working' as some of the 50+ year olds on here are, but having to get togged up, go out to meet people you don't want to meet at the age of 96 is something I doubt many on here would want to be doing.

At least he will be spared Trump as Jane10 says - but perhaps a couple of words from Philip would put him back in his box.
And they probably won't have to entertain the Donald at Balmoral now either.

Win, win!

I think it's easy to be dismissive of his job but being on show all the time is hard work . If you haven't done it then you can't really say what it's really like - it's an assumption.

It's not all expensive jaunts and meals out and even if it was for arguments sake - at the age of 95 would you want to eat food you haven't chosen with people you don't know?

I think he deserves to 'retire' and not be continually on show and trying to show interest in some things that probably don't interest him much at all . Good for him!

I'd rather he retire now than be trotted out looking frail and doddery and unlike his sparky self.

Same goes for the Queen. I hope this will give her a chance to cut back even more on her engagements without actually abdicating - which she has said she will never do.

I have often criticised the windsors for their number of homes, now I think of
Trump , I will stick with queenie, Phil, Charles and Camilla

I haven't seen any forelocks being tugged, or anyone wanting to go back to "master and commoner" days. What I HAVE seen is a certain amount of automatic anti-royal bitching when all that hs happened is that an old codger has decided to stop doing as much he used to do (or perhaps he has been persuaded by others to give it up - I can imagine him saying that at only 95 there is life in the old dog yet!)

Maybe he's being 'retired' in case Trump comes over!

Head above parapet, I've been fascinated by him since 1947! I was very little then!

Oh, these anti-royalist rants are all the same - still, does 'em good to get if off their chests every now and then...

110 days a year on expensive jaunts and meals out is hardly hard work ...at any age .Really the folk who still tug their forelocks at these people make me laugh ..maybe THIS is what brexit is all about..returning to "the good old days" of the master and the commoners...well some of you seem to believe thats how it should be now .

I think he should look old and frail at 96 he'd be a blooming marvel if he didn't They should have both retired and let go some control years ago the younger royals will be fine, Charles is as good as any he's sensible and so is Camilla Queenie and Philip should stop buzzing round the place and put their feet up a bit

Apparently he had royal appointments - pulling curtains off plaques, dinners, meeting people, etc on 110 days out of 366 last year. So from now on he will not do any more of that, but may go to an event (eg Scottish games) if he feels like it, as a visitor.

I think he has looked very old and frail for some time now, and hope he will have a year or so left to enjoy life. A pity his wife will still be too busy to spend many of those days with him.

My brother, who has never believed in the paranormal, emailed me this morning saying he'd had a very vivid dream about Prince Phillip. He had not seen the news in Holland where he lives!!!

Good old Philip, I hope he has at least a couple of good years retirement

Not sure if that was meant to be serious or tongue in cheek hildajenniJ

Had to laugh anyway. Just wondering what "job" he is actually retiring from?

Good old Philip, I hope he has at least a couple of good years retirement.

Brilliant man, the rock behind a wonderful Queen. The news was worthy of the speculation, a momentous day for the Royals.

I am underwhelmed by this announcement.

So it's not this, then?

pbs.twimg.com/media/C--Oz6xXsAE16Gt.jpg:small

And me

I like him