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Prince Philip

Prince Philip starts his day with a relaxing horse and carriage ride

He may be in his mid-90s, but Prince Philip is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

He was seen earlier this week starting his day with a refreshing horse and carriage ride around the grounds of Home Park, Windsor Castle.

It may not be fast cars and roaring engines, but the Duke of Edinburgh looked right at home as he took the reins of the two-horse carriage and enjoyed some early morning fresh air.

He knew exactly how to dress for the occasion too, wrapped up in his padded jacket and tweed gloves, sheltering from the chilly remains of last weeks ‘Beast from the East’.

Prince Philip spent the Christmas period at Sandringham Castle with The Queen and this week’s little adventure is believed to be his first horse and carriage ride of the year.

Despite bowing out of public life last year, the Duke of Edinburgh spent much of his younger days enjoying the attention and was a keen polo player. Carriage driving is said to have been one of his favourite hobbies since the 1970’s with his love for horses being evident.

Despite this week’s ride being leisurely, Prince Philip’s horse and carriage experiences in the past have sometimes been a little more competitive.

After drawing together a committee whose job it was to decide on rules and regulations to turn his hobby into a sport, Prince Philip represented Britain at carriage racing in several European and World Championships.

His competitive flare even saw him competing for titles in the Netherlands, Hungary and Poland.

It would seem the Duke of Edinburgh has been keen to keep the sport in the family too with his 14-year-old granddaughter, Lady Louise Windsor, also having a passion for carriage driving.

The sport dictates that a single horse must pull either a two or four-wheeled carriage and a tandem or four-in-hand team must also be involved.

But while in the past, carriage driving may have been a source of competitive fun for Prince Philip, it is clear that he now uses his hobby to enjoy the great outdoors and relax.

And after 22,000 solo public appearances under his belt over 66 years as The Queen’s husband, who can blame him for wanting to enjoy a bit of down-time.