The Duke of Edinburgh attending a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, London Thursday June 6, 2013. Buckingham Palace says Queen Elizabeth II’s husband was later admitted to a London hospital for an exploratory operation. The palace said the operation on 91-year-old Prince Philip will come after “abdominal investigations,” but did not elaborate. AP PHOTO/ANTHONY DEVLIN
LONDON—Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip was to undergo exploratory surgery on his abdomen on Friday after spending the night in a London hospital, raising fresh questions about his health.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who turns 92 on Monday, was admitted to the private London Clinic on Thursday for what Buckingham Palace said was a planned operation under general anesthetic.
It is the fourth time in two years that Philip has been hospitalized and follows “an abdominal investigation that took place last week”, a palace spokeswoman said.
He is expected to stay for up to two weeks, which would be the longest he has ever spent in hospital.
The spokeswoman insisted however that Philip was “in good health”, saying he had walked into the clinic on Harley Street “unaided” after being driven there.
The 87-year-old queen is continuing her normal schedule of public engagements, which includes a visit on Friday to the BBC’s new headquarters in London. Philip had been due to join her.
Palace officials gave no further details about Philip’s surgery, although commentators suggest it could either involve a laparoscopy, a form of keyhole surgery, or a laparotomy.
A laparotomy requires a large incision to be made through the abdominal wall in order to look for abnormalities including tumors, which may explain the lengthy recuperation period.
Hours before being driven to hospital, the duke attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace with the queen, where he was pictured smiling broadly and chatting animatedly to guests.
Wearing a grey top hat and tails, he showed no apparent discomfort despite the strong sun.
Guest John Peace, the lord-lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, said Philip had been “telling jokes”, adding “it was wonderful” to see him with the queen.
With the exception of sporting-related injuries, the duke has enjoyed good health, but there are signs that age is finally catching up with him.
In August last year, he was admitted to hospital in Scotland to be treated for a bladder infection.
Two months earlier, a similar complaint saw him hospitalized for five nights in London, causing him to miss the last event of the queen’s diamond jubilee celebrations.
In December 2011, he was rushed to hospital with chest pains. He suffered a blocked coronary artery and required surgery, spending four nights — including Christmas Day — in hospital.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s office sent a message to the prince on Twitter, saying: “The prime minister wishes the Duke of Edinburgh a swift recovery.”
Philip pulled out of a gala charity reception with the queen on Monday night after temporarily losing his voice.
But he was back by the queen’s side the following day for a service at Westminster Abbey marking the 60th anniversary of her coronation.
The couple married in 1947 and Philip is the longest-serving royal consort in British history, described by the queen in 1997 as “my strength and stay all these years”.
Despite their age, they both maintain a busy schedule and although the queen has cut back her long-haul flights this year, Philip paid a private working visit to Canada in April.
This week, he attended the coronation service on Tuesday, toured the Victorian steamship the SS Robin in east London on Wednesday and attended the garden party at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.
Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark was born on a kitchen table on Corfu on June 10, 1921, the only son of prince Andrew of Greece — the younger brother of Greece’s king Constantine — and princess Alice of Battenberg.
He was evacuated on a British Royal Navy ship from politically unstable Greece when just 18 months old before moving to England to attend a preparatory school.
After becoming an outstanding Royal Navy cadet, he served on battleships in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean during World War II.
His military career was cut short by the death of his wife’s father king George VI in 1952, which put her on the throne.