Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip on Thursday announced that he was retiring from royal duties later this year, the Royal Family said in a statement. The Clarence House announced that the 95-year-old will attend engagements scheduled previously from now till Autumn.

However, he will continue to be the patron, president or a member of over 780 organisations with which he is currently associated. The Duke of Edinburgh will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagement, the statement said.

The Royal Family said the Queen will continue to carry out a full programme of official engagements.

Earlier in the day, the Buckingham Palace had reportedly called for an emergency meeting of its staff members, sparking panicked rumours that either Prince Philip or Queen Elizabeth had died. However, unidentified officials from the palace told Reuters that there was no cause for alarm.