Less than two months after major surgery, the royal family's patriarch made a defiant, purposeful and unaided march inside St George's Chapel to watch his grandson, Prince Harry, get married.
Despite assurances from Buckingham Palace about the Duke of Edinburgh's rude health in the run-up to the big day, many eyes were still fixed on the state Bentley as the Queen and her consort clambered out.
Philip did so without the use of an aid. In contrast, former prime minister Sir John Major, 75, was seen entering the chapel with a walking stick.
The 96-year-old duke's attendance had initially been in doubt for the royal nuptials following a planned hip replacement operation on April 4.
At the time of the procedure, Buckingham Palace said the surgery to replace the joint had been a success and Philip was "comfortable and in good spirits".
Royal fans got a further boost when he made his first public appearance last week during the Royal Windsor Horse show, and he was later spotted driving himself around in a Land Rover Freelander.
The duke will have spent the past six weeks on a rehabilitation program, starting with moving with the aid of a stick or crutches and gradually progressing towards increased mobility.
His fitness was underlined further when he waved enthusiastically to the crowd as he left the chapel on Saturday, seated in the back of the state car alongside his wife.
Australian Associated Press
