ABERDEEN, United Kingdom (AFP)
Queen Elizabeth II's 91-year-old husband Prince Philip, who is in
hospital with a bladder infection, is responding well to
treatment, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.
"It is unclear when he will be discharged, but he is likely to
remain in hospital for a few more days," the palace added in a
statement.
Philip was taken by ambulance to hospital in the Scottish city of
Aberdeen on Wednesday, following a recurrence of the bladder
infection that laid him low during the queen's diamond jubilee
celebrations in June.
It is the prince's third health scare in the space of eight
months, after he suffered a blocked coronary artery over
Christmas last year which required the insertion of a stent.
He and the queen were staying at the royal family's residence at
Balmoral in northeast Scotland when he was taken ill and driven
to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, about 40 miles (60 kilometres) away.
Buckingham Palace said on Wednesday that he was hospitalised as a
"precautionary measure".
Philip, whose official title is the Duke of Edinburgh, had
appeared in good health on Monday as he carried out public
engagements on the Isle of Wight, off southern England.
He had also attended several events at the London Olympics over
the past two weeks, and appeared delighted as he watched his
granddaughter Zara Phillips, who went on to win a silver medal in
the equestrian events.
But age has begun to take its toll. The prince spent five nights
in hospital with a bladder infection in June, forcing him to miss
the end of the huge diamond jubilee celebrations marking the
queen's 60th year on the throne.
The infection came after he spent several hours standing on a
royal barge in heavy rain as part of a jubilee pageant on the
River Thames.
On the night he was taken ill, hundreds of thousands of revellers
chanted his name to wish him well at a star-studded jubilee
concert outside Buckingham Palace.
A few days before Christmas he was flown by helicopter to
hospital for surgery on a blocked coronary artery after suffering
chest pains.
Greek-born Philip is the longest-serving royal consort in British
history, and has been the queen's stalwart companion throughout
her reign.
He is famous for his politically incorrect jokes, but behind the
scenes is said to be a key source of support for the queen.
"He has been a constant strength and guide," the 86-year-old
monarch told parliament in March.
Born Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, Philip fled Greece
with his family when he was just 18 months old as the country was
seized by political instability.
An officer in Britain's Royal Navy during World War II, he had
met Princess Elizabeth in 1939, but the couple did not marry
until 1947.
He had to give up his Greek and Danish titles and join the Church
of England in order to marry the future queen, and his career was
cut short by the death of king George VI in 1952, which brought
Elizabeth to the throne.
He once admitted the curtailment of his promising naval career
was "disappointing", but said that "being married to the queen,
it seemed to me that my first duty was to serve her in the best
way I could".
They have four children. The eldest is heir to the throne Prince
Charles.
