Prince Philip to attend bridge opening

OHMYGOSSIP — Prince Philip will attend the opening of a new bridge just weeks after retiring.
The 96-year-old royal stepped down from solo royal engagements earlier this month, and it as now been revealed that his first royal appearance since his retirement will be alongside his wife Queen Elizabeth when the pair attend the opening of the Queensferry Crossing on September 4.
Buckingham Palace announced the news on Wednesday (23.08.17), less than a month after Prince Philip made his final solo engagement when he attended a parade to mark a fundraising challenge by the Royal Marines on August 2.
At the time, a palace spokeswoman said the parade would “bring His Royal Highness’s individual programme to a conclusion, although he may choose to attend certain events, alongside the Queen, from time-to-time.”
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will also attend the event, which will mark the official opening of the 1.7 mile long Queensferry Crossing, which is set to replace the Forth Road Bridge as the main road route between Edinburgh and Fife.
There will also be a blessing by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland at the bridge which cost £1.35 billion to put in place.
The news comes after it was revealed earlier this year that Prince Philip would be stepping down from his solo royal duties after the summer, but would still be able to attend “certain public events” when he chooses to do so.
A statement released at the time read: “His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year. In taking this decision.
“Prince Philip will attend previously scheduled engagements between now and August, both individually and accompanying The Queen. Thereafter, The Duke will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagements.
“Although he may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time.”

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