Just a week after leaving hospital, the Duke of Edinburgh is ready to return to public life. In his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, he will chair the Senior Colonel's Conference and dinner at Buckingham Palace on Friday.
The event provides a chance for high-ranking officials from different royal regiments to gather together. Prince Philip missed out on half of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations after undergoing treatment for a bladder infection. He was taken to hospital following the Thames River Pageant – where he and his wife spent four hours on a barge in adverse weather conditions.
However, the 91-year-old has powered on to make a full recovery, and will now return to public engagements. On Saturday, the man the Queen describes as her "strength and stay" will once again be by her side for the Trooping the Colour procession. The spectacular annual event marks Her Majesty's official birthday.
Extended members of the royal family gather on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a re-enactment of traditional preparations for battle. The magnificent display, which includes an RAF flypast, harks back to a time when the Colours, or flags of a regiment were "trooped" down the ranks in order to be recognised by soldiers.In 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge was the star of the show as she attended the ceremony shortly after her wedding. This year, celebrations will have added resonance as the Queen celebrates sixty years on the throne.
