Why Did Prince Philip Release A Statement About Coronavirus Years After Retirement? Experts Explain

Prince Philip released a statement about coronavirus for a reason.

A few weeks back, the Duke of Edinburgh released a statement to thank the frontliners amid the coronavirus pandemic. Royal experts Chris Ship and producer Lizzie Robinson shared their thoughts about the senior royal’s move.

Prince Philip retired in 2017. Since then, he kept a low-profile and has skipped most events with the royal family. He hasn’t been as visible as before. In fact, Robinson and Ship considered it “rare” for the duke to release a statement.

“It's very rare to get a message from the Duke of Edinburgh. We know he retired in August 2017 and since then he has been very quiet and kept out of the public spotlight,” Robinson said. “We've seen him on occasion at big family gatherings but we haven't had any messages from him.”

Ship shared his thoughts and said that the 98-year-old royal likely did it to recognize what has been going on in the world.

“It was clear that he's recognising what's going on, however frail he might be as you would expect people to be at 98. He wanted to recognise the vital work being done by so many in this pandemic,” Ship said.

In his short statement, Prince Philip thanked the frontliners who continue to do their jobs to get things going for the majority. He specifically mentioned those in the medical and scientific professions, at universities and research institutions, who are working to protect everyone from COVID-19.

Prince Philip also did not miss the staff and volunteers, including those who in the postal and delivery services and those who ensure that “the rubbish continues to be collected.”

According to an expert, Prince Philip is more vulnerable to coronavirus. Not just because of his age, but because of his medical history.

“Prince Philip has had some medical problems in the past and this combined with his age does make him more vulnerable,” said Dr. Diana Gall of online service Doctor 4 U.

In December, Prince Philip was hospitalized. However, sources said that it wasn’t an emergency but just a “precautionary measure” on the advice of his doctor due to his pre-existing condition.