He might have been absent from a slew of official royal events lately but Prince Philip is making the most of his retirement.
Just a week after his milestone 97th birthday, the Duke of Edinburgh was pictured enjoying a carriage drive on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The royal looked in great spirits as he commanded the horses.
Prince Philip rugged up in a train driver cap, a blue parker and khaki trousers.
The Queen’s husband loves carriage racing and used to compete in the sport but these days, it’s just a hobby.
Off he goes!
Just two months after hip surgery and Prince Philip is back carriage riding.
In 2004, the Duke spoke of his love for the sport in his book, 30 Years On and Off The Box Seat.
“I am getting old,” he said.
“My reactions are getting slower and my memory is unreliable. But, I have not lost the sheer pleasure of driving a team through the British countryside.”
Adding, “I have been fortunate to have had a longer innings than most, and I have no intention of giving up while I have a team of willing ponies and dedicated grooms.”
At 97 and just two months after undergoing hip surgery, there’s no slowing down the impressive Prince Philip.
There’s no slowing down the 97-year-old.
Opening up about his adventurous spirit, British actress Joanna Lumley dubbed the father-of-four the original James Bond.
“I think he’s just an extraordinary character – he rides, sails, drives horses, fishes, swims. He really could have been Bond and he was a naval commander as well like Commander Bond,” she explained on the documentary When Philip Met Prince Philip: 60 Years of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
Looking at these new photos, we couldn’t agree more!
“My reactions are getting slower and my memory is unreliable. But, I have not lost the sheer pleasure of driving a team through the British countryside.”
