Britain’s Prince Philip, 99, makes rare public appearance

Britain’s Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh arrives for a ceremony for the transfer of the Colonel-in-Chief of the Rifles from the Duke to the Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, who will conclude the ceremony from Highgrove House, at Windsor Castle, England, Wednesday, July 22, 2020. The ceremony will begin at Windsor Castle where the Assistant Colonel Commandant, Major General Tom Copinger-Symes, will offer the salute and thank the Duke for his 67 years of support and service to The Rifles, and their forming and antecedent Regiments. The ceremony will continue at Highgrove House, with Camilla The Duchess of Cornwall, where she will be addressed by The Rifles’ Colonel Commandant. (Adrian Dennis/Pool via AP)

LONDON — Britain’s Prince Philip has made a rare public appearance as he attended a military ceremony at Windsor Castle to transfer a long-held ceremonial role to his daughter-in-law Camilla.

The 99-year-old Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, has been Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles since 2007 and has served in the same role for earlier regiments that have made up the infantry unit since the 1950s.

On Wednesday, Camilla, Prince Charles’ wife, was welcomed as the regiment’s new colonel-in-chief in a separate ceremony.

Philip retired from public duties in 2017. He was pictured at Windsor Castle with the queen to mark his birthday in June, and he attended Princess Beatrice’s private wedding ceremony on Friday.

He was last seen at a big event when he was a guest at Lady Gabriella Windsor’s wedding in May 2019.