London - Britain's Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, handed over a ceremonial military role on Wednesday to his daughter-in-law, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
Philip, 99, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, has attended few engagements since announcing his retirement from most public duties in May 2017.
His rare appearance on Wednesday was to pass his role as colonel-in-chief of the rifles regiment, which he has held for nearly 70 years, to Camilla, the wife of Prince Charles.
Philip completed his part of the handover ceremony in the grounds of Windsor Castle, the queen's main residence outside London, while Camilla was at her home in Highgrove House, about 160 kilometres away.
Philip had been the ceremonial head of the Rifles, now Britain's largest army regiment, and its predecessors since 1953, the royal family said.
The Duke was thanked for his 67 years of service and support to the Regiment, before the Buglers sounded the ‘No More Parades’ call, marking HRH’s final ceremony as The Rifles’ Colonel-in-Chief. pic.twitter.com/4TBllrOVX6
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 22, 2020
"The Duke [of Edinburgh] was thanked for his 67 years of service and support to the regiment, before the buglers sounded the 'No More Parades' call," Buckingham Palace tweeted.
The queen and Philip left Buckingham Palace for Windsor in April as a "sensible precaution" amid the coronavirus pandemic, the royal family said.
Philip is the oldest and the longest-serving consort in British history, described by the 94-year-old queen as her "constant strength and guide."