Prince Philip Attends Church at Balmoral Castle and Makes Rare Appearance with Queen Elizabeth II

published 20 August 2018

Since Prince Philip, 97, officially retired from his royal duties last year, he's been keeping a very low profile. However, this weekend Prince Phillip made a rare appearance with his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, on their way to church in Scotland.

The husband and wife rode together in a Bentley while heading to Craithie Kirk church situated on the estate of the royal family's Balmoral Castle, which is located about nine hours from London. The Queen lives here during the year when she wants to vacation and escape the tourists while the Palace is open to the public. Aside from going to church, Philip also reportedly spent time at the estate fishing and relaxing.

Lately, Prince Philip has been focusing on his health. In April, he was forced to cancel several planned appearances to have an extensive hip surgery. He missed this year's Easter service with the entire royal family because of it, and hasn't been out and about much since. He didn't even attend his great-grandson Prince Louis' christening.

It's reported Prince Philip may also skip his granddaughter Princess Eugenie's wedding in October because "he does what he wants." He did make it to his grandson Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in May, only a month after his hip surgery, though a final decision has yet to be made whether or not the Duke of Edinburgh will attend Eugenie's wedding to longtime boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank.

24th november 1947 princess elizabeth and the prince philip, duke of edinburgh enjoying a walk during their honeymoon at broadlands, romsey, hampshire photo by topical press agencygetty images

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Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.