Prince Philip Is Stepping Out Of The Public Spotlight

Prince Philip is finally retiring from royal duties at age 96.

He carried out his last official public engagement at Buckingham Palace on Aug. 2. It was an event for service members who participated in the 1664 Global Challenge, a fundraiser for The Royal Marines.

Challenge participants run a total of 1,664 miles over 100 days. Philip serves as Captain General of the Royal Marines.  

The Duke of Edinburgh began to scale back the number of engagements he participated in when he turned 90 years old in 2011. And that time, he'd been a patron of more than 800 organizations. 

And earlier this year, Buckingham Palace announced the royal's plans for retirement, stating he had the full support of his wife, Queen Elizabeth II. 

Philip, who's the longest-serving royal spouse in British history, has carried out an astounding number of duties over the last six decades. 

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Since Elizabeth became queen in 1952, Philip has taken part in more than 22,200 solo engagements, given almost 5,500 speeches and gone on more than 600 solo trips overseas. 

The duke won't be stepping out of the public spotlight completely, though. 

The palace said Philip may still choose to attend events alongside the queen. We're thinking he'll probably make an appearance at festivities like the queen's birthday.