Happy Birthday Philip! You’re getting on quite a bit…

Prince Philip is celebrating his 90th birthday today, and Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II has bestowed ANOTHER title on him, this time Lord High Admiral, adding to a giant collection he already has, primarily the Duke of Edinburgh. He told the news teams that he’s “winding down as a royal” and “I’ve done my bit so I need to relax now“.

Today, he has been receiving gifts and cards and presents in person from celebrities and admirers alike. Particularly, he was pleased to be in the presence of the head of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People on Friday, with many of his closest friends attending also. The woman currently in charge had given him a present containing ear defender when the prince stated “Can I get Radio 3 on this?”. The group used this event to publicly changed their name to a simpler, less impactive Action on Hearing Loss, acronymized to AHL. The same day is also the 100th birthday of the organisation, and Philip protested that the event focus on their work, rather than his.

My former MP, the Right Honourable Ann Widdecombe and historian David Starkey spontaneously started singing Happy Birthday in the presence of both Philip and Jackie Ballard, the leader of the AHL. As His Royal Higness‘ mother was born profoundly deaf, he vowed to lead the Royal National Institute for Deaf People at the time, and has been since 1958, 7 years after his retirement from the Royal Navy to care for his wife, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Royal Mint has also printed new, commemorative £5 coin, available to buy in cupro-nickel, silver, gold, and a collector’s edition platinum model, costing a whopping £5,450! The coin features Philip on one side and Elizabeth on the other, the first time in history a monarch and their consort have appeared on opposite sides of a coin. The designer, sculptor Mark Richards is proud of his work and is honoured to be involved in such a big event, “The challenge for me … was to capture a man who gives great support to the monarch and the country, while remaining largely in the background.”

The Queen is 85 herself, and will celebrate her 86th birthday next year, along with her Diamon Jubilee, marking 60 years on the throne. The two married in 1947, making him the longest-serving consort to have lived in the UK, at 64 years. He is glad to be relieved of tiring duties, but says he will miss them also.

This is also the first time a senior royal has been interviewed by news channels in many months, and there are few likely to happen with Philip again. He is currently the 2nd oldest living descendant of Queen Victoria, pipped at the post by Count Carl Johan Bernadotte who is 94! Despite his age, he is prepared to continue being the president of over 800 charities or organisations, and the Action for Hearing Loss is just 1 of them!

What do you think of this caring, considerate old man? Is he doing a great job for the United Kingdom, or does he put on a show to get popularity?

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