Retirement will not see Duke of Edinburgh 'disappearing into background', says Prince Edward
Prince Edward has called his father's decision to stand down from his royal duties a "sensible" move, but hinted the Duke of Edinburgh will not be disappearing entirely from public life.
He said the decision heralded no "massive reorganisation" by the Royals as they all support each other in their duties.
"The show goes on," he said.
The Earl of Wessex termed the announcement of his father's retirement a "surprise, but not really a surprise".
"Having for many years said it's a job from which you can't retire, he's just proved that actually it might be possible to retire ... at the end of the day you still have to do what's sensible and practical," he said.
But he added, "we're not going to see him disappearing into the background".
Edward is the first family member to speak about Philip's retirement.
He made his comments while attending the Royal Windsor Jaguar Festival, an event in aid of the Prince Philip Trust Fund, which raises money for young people living in the borough.
On Friday Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Philip, who is 95 and is the longest serving consort in British history, was retiring from public engagements.
According to the Palace announcement, Prince Philip will retire in August, although he will attend previously scheduled visits.
He will not be accepting any new invitations, but may still choose to attend certain public events "from time to time", the Palace said.
Asked to sum up what his father's contribution to national life has been, Edward said It has been "years of staggering service", and he has always been "jolly" along the way.
He added: "The great thing about my father is that nobody's ever forgotten meeting him, so they've all got their stories.
"Wherever he's been, wherever in the world, people remember him. You can't really get a better accolade than that."