Prince Philip to undergo surgery

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party.
Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images

June 6, London – Prince Philip has been rushed to the hospital last night to undergo an operation due to recurring bouts with abdominal pain.  The duke, who will celebrate his 92nd birthday this month, has undergone a series of tests last week, which prompted him to undergo exploratory surgery under general anaesthetic, reports Mail Online.

But ever the steadfast soldier, the frail royal consort even managed to appear on seven high profile public engagements this week, including a visit at a naval station, two dinners and the church service commemorating Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th coronation anniversary. He was even seen rubbing elbows and throwing jokes with some 8,000 guests at yesterday’s Buckingham Palace garden party. But by 5:30, quietly disappeared from the crowd and proceeded to the London Clinic, a private hospital on Harley Street. He is scheduled to have the surgery today and will most likely recuperate at the hospital for two weeks.

Given the frail condition of his health, Prince Philip cancelled two engagements last week, including a lecture at Windsor Castle and a reception at Buckingham Palace, although Palace staff pointed out it wasn’t due to abdominal pain.

Royal can reveal that the Duke has “been feeling under the weather” for a few days prior to his hospitalization, not because of abdominal pain, “but that is because he had lost his voice. The two are quite unconnected.”

Palace insider noted that he left the Buckingham Palace garden party “quite calmly.” He was at his best and nobody else at the party suspected that something was wrong with him.

The duke’s hospitalization spree since last year prompts further questions about the Duke of Edinburgh’s workload and that of the Queen, who herself has been hospitalized a few weeks ago. In fact, the Queen had to skip the Commonwealth meeting this year. Furthermore, the some most active members of the British Royal Family are way beyond retirement years and have recently endured the frailty of old health. The Queen’s cousin, the Duke of Kent, suffered a stroke and his sister Princess Alexandra was also diagnosed with a serious condition. Both had to scale down their public duties.

Buckingham Palace had announced earlier that the royal couple “would be scaling back on their long-haul foreign travel,” giving the younger royals the burden of carrying out official duties. Buckingham Palace Clarence House and Downing Street have been talking about Prince Charles’ taking an even more prominent role in day to day affairs. Meanwhile, heavy pressure is also laid on Prince William and the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge as it seems that the call for them to become full-time working royals will turn louder and louder in the succeeding months. After all, they’re the closest couple in line to the throne, next to Prince Charles, so there’s no reason why they should keep on talking about living low-profile royal existence. They owe the privileges that they enjoy from the very position that they’re in right now, so, they should really feel it’s their obligation to serve country first before thinking of themselves. 

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