Royals to mark Prince Philip’s 90th birthday

The Duke of Edinburgh’s 90th birthday will be celebrated by a service attended by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family, according to Buckingham Palace.

Prince Philip’s family will gather at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle to mark the milestone a few days after his June 10th birthday.

The Duke’s 90th celebrations have already begun with a special webpage – featuring 90 facts about the royal.

On Prince Philip’s birthday itself it will be business as usual for the royal with two normal engagements planned.

In the afternoon, in his role as patron, he will hold a reception to mark the centenary of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People.

And that evening, in his capacity as Senior Colonel, Household Division, he will chair the Senior Colonels’ Conference and afterwards hold a dinner.

The special webpage dedicated to Prince Philip’s birthday includes a collection of photographs chronicling the life of the Queen’s consort.

One intimate black and white image shows the Duke and the monarch as parents with their first two children, the Prince of Wales and Princess Royal.

As a young Anne sits on a swing and her older brother Charles stands above her the Duke pushes both of them as the Queen looks on during a holiday at Balmoral in September 1955.

Others pictures include Philip in a group photograph, dated 1944-46, with fellow officers on the warship HMS Whelp and as a young man at his school Gordonstoun.

The images also cover recent years and one shows Philip greeting Pope Benedict XVI on behalf of the Queen at Edinburgh Airport last year at the start of the pontiff’s four-day visit to the UK.

Another pictures him visiting the Cutty Sark to view the ship and restoration work on the vessel a few weeks ago in south-east London.

Visitors to the monarchy website can also send the Duke a birthday message ahead of his big day.

The special service to mark the milestone will be held on Sunday June 12, followed by a reception for the guests in the state rooms at Windsor Castle. A similar event was held for Prince Philip’s 80th. It is not unusual for the Duke to work on his birthday and it is probably indicative of his general attitude of not wanting a fuss made over himself.

Despite his advancing years Prince Philip remains fit and trim and only in recent years did he give up competitive carriage driving.

But last November Buckingham Palace announced the Duke would step down as president or patron of more than a dozen organisations when he turns 90 to reduce his commitments because of his age.

Among the posts the Duke will step down from are his chancellorships of the University of Edinburgh, held since 1952, and University of Cambridge, held since 1976.

Other roles he will relinquish include his patronage of UK Athletics, held since 1952, City and Guilds of London Institute, president since 1951, and Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth, president since 1958.

He will still be involved with more than 800 organisations.

One of the 90 facts about the Duke reveals that the royal – who enjoys painting landscapes in oils – is finding more time for his hobby as he withdraws from ‘executive responsibilities’.