Social media and News organizations had launched into overdrive after a newspaper reported Buckingham Palace had called an emergency meeting. The move had prompted speculation that Queen Elizabeth II or the Duke of Edinburgh died.
The rumor started with The Daily Mail reporting that a highly unusual emergency meeting had been called in the early hours of Thursday, with all royal staff called back to the Palace.
However, a statement has been released saying that the Duke of Edinburgh would be stepping down from his public engagements, but in the hours preceding that announcement, there was a flurry of rumors about the meeting's purpose, and reporters in Britain converged on the Palace.
People started whispering about the health of the 91-year-old Queen and Prince Philip, who turns 96 next month. The two have suffered recent health scares, and they developed severe colds over Christmas forcing the Queen to miss the traditional Christmas Service.
Back in 2012, Prince Philip was also treated in hospital in after suffering a bladder infection, an illness that overshadowed the latter stages of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
The royal couple has trimmed their workload in recent years. However, they still carry out official duties. Yesterday both appeared to be in good health.
Prime Minister Theresa May and the Queen met at the Palace and Prince Philip made an appearance at Lord's Cricket Ground.
Rumors were spreading that the meeting could be about one of their deaths continued as a source inside the Palace confirmed to the ABC that all the staff meeting would take place, but said it was not unusual.
The insider source revealed that such meetings take place on occasion, usually once or twice per year.
Another source told the Reuters news agency that there was no cause for alarm, while a palace official told the Associated Press there was no cause for concern.
This was not until British newspaper The Sun published a report incorrectly declaring the Prince dead but later retracted it.
The Royal Family issued a statement revealing Prince Philip would no long carry out public engagements after August this year. The announcement has brought on a sense of relief, sadness and even amusement at the global fuss.
