Prince Philip looked happy and healthy today as he smiled alongside the Queen after the secret wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who celebrated his 99th birthday last month, attended the ceremony in Windsor in a rare public appearance since his official retirement in August 2017.
Sat in the backseat of a green Range Rover beside his wife of 73 years, the prince looked smart in a dark coloured suit, white shirt and striped tie.
The couple were pictured driving away from their granddaughter’s wedding at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, in the grounds of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.
Prince Philip looked happy and healthy today as he smiled alongside the Queen after the secret wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
Like her husband, the Queen appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service and looked resplendent in mint green for the occasion.
The Queen has now seen six of her eight grandchildren marry.
She and Prince Philip have been in isolation at their Windsor residence since the start of lockdown, allowing them to spend more time together than they have done in ‘many years’, one expert noted.
To mark the duke’s milestone birthday last month, the Royal Family released a photo of released a new photograph of the couple standing side-by-side in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle.
Like her husband, the Queen appeared in excellent spirits as they left the service and looked resplendent in mint green for the occasion
The monarch and Prince Philip have been in isolation at their Windsor residence since the start of lockdown, allowing them to spend more time together than they have done in ‘many years’, one expert noted
Sat in the backseat of a green Range Rover beside his wife of 73 years, the prince looked smart in a dark coloured suit, white shirt and striped tie
In April Prince Philip came out of retirement to deliver a heartfelt thank you to key workers who are helping to make sure ‘the infrastructure of our life continues’ in the coronavirus pandemic.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 98, said he wanted to recognise the ‘vital and urgent’ medical and scientific work taking place to battle the deadly virus.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said the country will have been inspired by Philip’s words.
In April Prince Philip came out of retirement to deliver a heartfelt thank you to key workers who are helping to make sure ‘the infrastructure of our life continues’ in the coronavirus pandemic. He said: ‘On behalf of those of us who remain safe and at home, I also wanted to thank all key workers who ensure the infrastructure of our life continues; the staff and volunteers working in food production and distribution, those keeping postal and delivery services going, and those ensuring the rubbish continues to be collected’
The Duke of Edinburgh has spent much of his retirement at his cottage, Wood Farm, in the sanctuary of the Sandringham estate, more than 100 miles away from the Queen, who was usually at Buckingham Palace or at Windsor.
But they were reunited at the Berkshire castle four months ago for their safety after Philip was flown there by helicopter on March 19 ahead of lockdown.
Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said: ‘This must be the longest they’ve been under the same roof for many years, I would say. But it’s an opportunity for them in their later years to reconnect.’
The Queen, pictured today leaving her granddaughter Princess Beatrice’s wedding with her husband, has now seen six of her eight grandchildren marry
He added: ‘It is the perfect royal cocooning.’
Royal expert Camilla Tominey agreed it is ‘arguably’ the most amount of time the Queen has spent with her husband in recent years. Speaking on This Morning today she said: ‘They’re there for the foreseeable future. It’s quite nice in a way that they are together when they wouldn’t have normally been this time of year.’
She added that next year the Queen will send Prince Philip a telegram for his 100th birthday.
‘They are planning tentatively the 100th birthday celebration, of course, she’ll give him a telegram that’s what she does when people turn 100,’ Camilla said.
On the eve of Prince Philip’s 99th birthday the royal family released a new photograph of the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, who have been married for 73 years, standing side-by-side in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle. The photo was taken at the castle a week previously
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are staying with a reduced household of around 20 staff, dubbed Operation HMS Bubble, and Mr Little said the monarch and Philip most likely have lunch or dinner together each day while spending other time on their separate interests.
Philip keeps himself busy reading, writing and painting, and even released a rare public statement in April – his first since his retirement – praising key workers and those making sure that essential services are kept running during the coronavirus pandemic.
As well as enjoying riding her fell ponies in Windsor Home Park, the Queen – the nation’s longest reigning monarch – has her official duties to deal with, including her red boxes of papers and regular telephone audiences.
The Duke of Edinburgh leaves King Edward VII Hospital in London, after being admitted for observation and treatment in relation to a pre-existing condition on 24 December, 2019
The royal couple have been pictured at Windsor throughout the years including in the grounds of the castle more than 60 years ago in 1959, accompanied by Sugar, one of the many royal corgis.
The success of the Queen and Philip’s long-lasting marriage has often been put down to their differing personalities.
In 2007, the couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary by travelling to Malta, where they had lived for a short time as a young couple.
In 2012, they marked their blue sapphire anniversary – 65 years – and in 2017 passed the rare, personal milestone of 70 years of marriage – their platinum wedding anniversary.