Queen Elizabeth II paid tribute to Prince Philip during her most recent outing, during which she relied on her late husband’s cane.
On Saturday, the 95-year-old monarch hosted a reception at Sandringham House ahead of her Platinum Jubilee on Sunday, which celebrated the 70 years she has been on the throne.
During the reception, which was attended by local community groups, according to the royal family’s official Twitter account, the Queen used the walking stick that belonged to her late husband, who died in April at the age of 99, The Telegraph reports.
According to the outlet, the cane is taller than a conventional walking stick and features an ornate handle carved from horn, with Prince Philip last photographed using the cane during an outing to a nature reserve in 2013 after he had undergone abdominal surgery.
However, according to the Duke of Edinburgh’s biographer Gyles Brandreth, Prince Philip frequently used the cane while managing the Sandringham estate.
“I recognised the stick instantly as it was always kept in a pot by the front door. It was the Duke’s stick, and it is very touching that the Queen has started using it,” Brandreth told The Telegraph of the Queen’s recent use of the cane.
The gesture comes after the Queen was photographed using a different cane during an appearance at the Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in October 2021. The appearance marked the first time since 2003 that the monarch had used a walking stick during a royal outing.
While attending Saturday’s reception, the Queen, who became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, was given a special cake decorated with the emblem of the Platinum Jubilee.
The royal also reflected on her late husband in a statement released in celebration of the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, in which she said that she was “blessed that in Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it”.
The Queen, who was 21 at the time, married Prince Philip on 20 November 1947. She ascended to the throne at the age of 25 in 1952, the same day her father, King George VI, died.
Buckingham Palace has announced a number of Platinum Jubilee celebrations to be held throughout 2022 in honour of the Queen, including an additional bank holiday.
