Britain’s Princess Anne filled in for her father at a service to commemorate the Battle of Jutland on Tuesday (31.05.16).
The 65-year-old royal attended a service at St Magnus Cathedral in Orkney, where she joined the crowd to remember the 8,648 sailors who tragically died during the Battle of Jutland, the biggest naval engagement of the First World War.
Prince Philip was originally expected to attend the events but "reluctantly decided" not to make the trip on doctor’s orders.
A royal spokesperson said: "The background is that this is on the doctor’s order, but there are no plans for him to go to hospital. This is a temporary health thing."
And Philip – who is the Royal Navy Lord High Admiral – is reportedly "immensely disappointed" that he was unable to attend.
A source said: "Its commemoration is very important to the Duke. He is generally very fit but for a man of his age but a bad cold can easily lead to something worse, like pneumonia. Travelling on a plane, with air conditioning, is not ideal."
In a message on order of service, the Prince urged for the commemorations to be focused on the "endurance and gallantry" of those who fought.
The Battle of Jutland, which started on 31 May 1916, saw the Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet clash with the German High Seas Fleet.
Britain’s Princess Anne filled in for father at Battle of Jutland service
