The Duke of Edinburgh was admitted into a London hospital this afternoon for an exploratory operation on his abdomen, Buckingham Palace announced tonight.
It is expected that Prince Philip will remain at the London Clinic on Harley Street for up to two weeks, it was reported.
The Duke, who turns 92 on Monday, has had a spate of ill health over the past few months and as recently as Monday night he withdrew from an engagement at the palace due to feeling “under the weather”. However, he appeared in good spirits at a Palace garden party this afternoon, joking with guests including the Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire Sir John Peace.
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A Palace spokesman addressed the media saying: “His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to the London Clinic for an exploratory operation following abdominal investigations. He is expected to stay in hospital for up to two weeks.”
The Palace said that this was a planned admission and that the operation will be taking place tomorrow. The exploratory surgery is a result of investigations that have been carried out on the Duke over the course of the past week. It is not thought that this hospital admission is linked to his illness on Monday night which the Palace spokesman attributed to the “fact he had temporarily lost his voice” but she did confirm that the Duke is “in very good health”.
The Queen is still planning on performing her engagements planned for tomorrow among which is a visit to the new BBC studios in London.
Prime Minister David Cameron was quick to send the Duke his good wishes, taking to his Twitter page to say: