Prince Philip Recovering Well After ‘Successful’ Hip Surgery, Buckingham Palace Announces
Prince Philip’s hip replacement operation went well and he is now recuperating, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday. According to CNN, the Duke of Edinburgh is still confined at the King Edward VII Hospital in London but is comfortable and “in good spirits.”
“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.”
On Tuesday, April 3, Prince Philip was admitted to the hospital for the scheduled surgery. The 96-year-old royal has missed a couple of official events last week due to his hip problem, including the Easter Sunday church service in Windsor where Queen Elizabeth II was present. He also did not appear on the traditional Maundy Thursday service held at St. George’s Chapel.
Last March 22, Prince Philip was also noticeably absent at Prince Andrew’s appointment as the new Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. According to People, his presence was expected at the event, as he has held this position since 1975. The ceremony was to officially hand over the role to his son.
Prince Philip stepped down from his public duties last year due to his advancing age. In June of 2017, he was also hospitalized for an undisclosed infection. Despite his retirement, the Duke of Edinburgh has been seen accompanying the Queen on some events. He is now the longest-serving royal consort, being married to Queen Elizabeth for more than 70 years.
Buckingham Palace did not mention when Prince Philip is expected to be released from the hospital. The royal family has a busy schedule in the coming months, and it would certainly be nice to see the prince join in the festivities. By the end of the month, Queen Elizabeth will be celebrating her 92nd birthday. Also, Prince William and Kate Middleton are expecting the birth of their third baby this month.
May 19 is, of course, the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The highly anticipated royal wedding will be held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, which is close to the home of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. ET previously reported that Prince Harry chose the venue so his grandfather could be there.
“One of the reasons that Prince Harry has wanted this wedding to happen quite quickly — this is really whirlwind by royal standards — is because his 96-year-old grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, is retired now and Prince Harry really wants him to be at his wedding,” a royal insider told ET.
“[Prince Harry is] incredibly close to his grandfather and, being 96, Harry thought it was it was a great thing to [have] the wedding sooner rather than later, so his grandfather could be there, fit and healthy.”
