The Queen Is Stepping Back From Her Royal Duties to Care for Prince Philip, 99: ‘He Knows His Days Are Numbered’

After celebrating his 99th birthday on June 10, 2020, Prince Philip is starting to think more about his final days with his family. “He doesn’t have the same energy” and he knows he needs to “look after himself,” a source exclusively tells Closer Weekly in the magazine’s latest issue, on newsstands now. “[Philip] knows his days are numbered and is trying to make the most of the time he has left with the queen.”

Queen Elizabeth, 94, is taking her husband’s health seriously too. In March, she stopped making royal appearances amid the coronavirus pandemic and has been letting her sons take on more of her royal duties.

“It’s nearing the end of the queen’s reign and she’s planning to pass down the crown to [Prince] Charles sooner rather than later,” the insider confides. “Charles has already taken on many of her duties, and since marrying Camilla [Parker Bowles], he has become so much more self-assured. Having a strong woman by his side has helped him to become more confident.”

As she nears her mid-90s, Queen Elizabeth is reminiscing more about the beautiful moments she’s had with her family at their Balmoral Estate over the years. The royals used to go there every summer before the pandemic hit in January. They would spend their afternoons going on “long walks, playing card games and reminiscing about the old times,” the source says, but life at 94 also has the queen thinking about a few mistakes she’s made in her past.

Although she has “many fond memories” of her late sister, Princess Margaret, the monarch wishes she could “turn back time” and not be so “harsh” with her sibling. “Margaret was a loose cannon,” the insider notes. “But she did make Elizabeth and Philip laugh.”

The U.K. native has learned to live with her regrets. Now, she’s just enjoying whatever time she has left with her family, which is one of her “greatest pleasures.”

“The queen may come across to some as stern, but she has become warmer with age,” the source says. “She and Philip say that the family is their greatest accomplishment.”

For more on Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, pick up the latest issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now — and be sure to sign up for our newsletter for more exclusive news!