Prince Philip To Retire From Royal Duties

Buckingham Palace has just made the announcement

Update: The highly-publicised meeting at Buckingham Palace this morning has just wrapped with the news that Prince Philip is officially retiring from all of his royal duties at 95 years of age. 

Many believed the meeting was in regards to the Queen and Prince’s health, but royal sources told press those rumours were ‘wide of the mark’ and that the pair are both ‘fine.’ 

The Palace made the announcement official this morning and released the below post on the royal’s Twitter account:

An announcement regarding The Duke of Edinburgh. https://t.co/SF1bgo68Un pic.twitter.com/TO9mR70xTk

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 4, 2017

This year marks their 70 year wedding anniversary, and subsequently, Prince Philip’s 70th year of royal duties. 

A well-deserved retirement if ever there was one. 

Original article (04/05): In what is being described as a “highly unusual” occurrence, all royal staffers have reportedly been summoned for a meeting at Buckingham Palace today. According to the Daily Mail, the call was put out around 3am local time in the UK for staff to make their way to the Palace where they will be addressed by Lord Chamberlain and Private Secretary Sir Christopher Geidt, two of the most senior royal staff members. 

“Although meetings involving the entire royal household are occasionally called, the way this has been done at the eleventh hour is highly unusual and suggests that there is something major to be disseminated,” a source close to the Palace told the publication. 

The Palace has declined to comment on the reason for the meeting (which has seen even those staffers working as far as Balmoral in Scotland called in) however rumours have begun to circulate that it could concern Her Majesty, 91, or Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, 95, both of whom were in poor health over the Christmas break. 

Each bounced back after a few weeks away from royal duties, with Prince Phillip attending an event as recently as yesterday. 

We’ll update this story throughout the day.