The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have a very special milestone to celebrate together in June. The monarch and her husband are currently isolating at Windsor Castle during the coronavirus lockdown, but they are expected to mark Prince Philip's 99th birthday on 10 June.
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The Duke was flown to Windsor Castle from Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate on 19 March – the same day the Queen left Buckingham Palace to travel to the Berkshire residence. Her Majesty, who turned 94 in April, has been carrying out her royal duties remotely and was pictured horse riding over the weekend.
Prince Philip officially retired in August 2017 at the age of 96, having completed 22,219 solo engagements since 1952. He was last pictured at a public event in May 2019, when he attended Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston's wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen and Prince Philip at Lady Gabriella Windsor's wedding in 2019
The Duke spent four nights at King Edward VII Hospital in London before Christmas 2019 for observation and treatment in relation to a "pre-existing condition." After being discharged, Buckingham Palace said in a statement: "The Duke of Edinburgh has today left hospital after being discharged by his Doctor and is now back at Sandringham. His Royal Highness would like to thank everyone who sent their good wishes."
In April, Prince Philip issued a rare statement to thank those working in the medical and scientific professions during the coronavirus crisis. He said: "As we approach World Immunisation Week, I wanted to recognise the vital and urgent work being done by so many to tackle the pandemic; by those in the medical and scientific professions, at universities and research institutions, all united in working to protect us from Covid-19.
"On behalf of those of us who remain safe and at home, I also wanted to thank all key workers who ensure the infrastructure of our life continues; the staff and volunteers working in food production and distribution, those keeping postal and delivery services going, and those ensuring the rubbish continues to be collected."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple are residing at Windsor Castle
It's understood that the 24 staff members isolating with the Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle have been taking extra precautions during the coronavirus lockdown to ensure the monarch and her husband's safety. The royal household has been split into two teams of 12, who work "three weeks on, three weeks off". Staff are reportedly allowed to spend two weeks at home during the rotation, before spending a third week in quarantine and are tested for COVID-19 before returning to work.
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