Prince Philip Retired From Royal Duties But Continues To Do This Yearly

Prince Philip retired from his royal duties a few years ago, but he continues to hold one important role within the royal family.

On the Channel 5 documentary “The Queen at Christmas,” royal expert Claudia Joseph said that ever since the Duke of Edinburgh married Queen Elizabeth, he had already been tasked with putting the gold star on top of their Christmas tree.

The royal expert added that the dad of four will most likely continue putting the gold star on the Christmas tree for as long as he lives.

“He’s quite a stalwart and won’t let other people take control. When any young children come, they put their own decorations on,” she said.

On Christmas Day, royal expert Ingrid Seward revealed that it is also Prince Philip who officially kicks off the festivities. He hosts a Christmas Eve reception every 24^th of December at 7:30 p.m. During the celebration, Prince Philip drinks pale ale, and Her Majesty enjoys a glass of martini.

This year, the Duke of Edinburgh will celebrate Christmas with his entire family in Sandringham. He has been staying at the Queen’s vacation home for months. And a royal source recently told The Sun that the 98-year-old royal took a bit of a wobble.

“Until recently he has been very active — carriage riding, fishing at Balmoral and driving around royal estates — although he no longer drives on public roads following his crash in January. His mind is as sharp as ever,” the source said.

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Prince Philip faced opposition from the palace while he was courting the monarch decades ago. In an article for the Daily Beast, Clive Irving revealed that the Queen’s late father, King George VI, suspected that the Duke would be unfaithful to his eldest daughter.

The Queen Mother didn’t also want the Queen to marry Prince Philip. Journalist Mike Wright told The Telegraph that the late royal had a list of at least 11 suitors for her daughter and Prince Philip wasn’t one of them.