Prince Philip has undergone a successful operation on his hip, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. A statement was released regarding the royal's health that read: "The Duke of Edinburgh has undergone a successful hip replacement operation. He is progressing satisfactorily at this early stage. His Royal Highness is likely to remain in hospital for several days. He is comfortable and in good spirits. Further updates will be issued when appropriate."
Philip, 96, was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital in London on Tuesday afternoon ahead of his planned surgery on Wednesday. The Queen's husband is known for his active lifestyle and has generally enjoyed good health. But in his more advanced years, he has faced a number of scares. In October 2011, the Duke pulled out of an overnight stay in Italy because of a cold, shortly after a busy 11-day official royal tour of Australia. Just weeks later, Philip, then 90, was rushed to hospital by helicopter from Sandringham, after suffering chest pains.
Prince Philip has undergone a successful operation on his hip
As the royal family were preparing to celebrate Christmas, the Prince was treated for a blocked coronary artery at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire and underwent a minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting. He sadly had to spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day in hospital. But a few days after being discharged, the Duke appeared in good health as he stepped out for the annual New Year's Day church service at Sandringham.
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In June 2012, Philip faced another health scare during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. He was forced to miss the majority of the festivities after falling ill with a bladder infection. He was released from hospital the day before his 91st birthday and when asked if he was feeling better, he replied, in his typical humour: "Well, I wouldn't be coming out if I wasn't."
The Queen's husband is known for his active lifestyle
Later that year in August, Philip again suffered a bladder infection and spent five nights at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He had been enjoying his summer break at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire. In 2013 on his 92nd birthday, the Prince again found himself in hospital in London for an exploratory operation on his abdomen. He underwent surgery under general anaesthetic and recuperated at Sandringham.
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Prince Philip officially retired from royal duties in summer 2017, with the full support of his wife. At the time, the palace stressed that his decision was not health-related and that he would, on occasion, still attend events with Her Majesty. But recently, the Duke has had to pull out of engagements at the last minute because of his health; he was most notably absent at the family's Easter celebrations in Windsor.