Duke of Edinburgh leaves hospital after treatment for infection

The Duke of Edinburgh was discharged from hospital yesterday after spending two nights being treated for an unspecified infection.

Prince Philip was admitted as a precautionary measure on Tuesday night, on the advice of a doctor, after falling ill with an infection arising from a pre-existing condition.

The duke left from the rear of the private King Edward VII’S Hospital in central London just before 10am yesterday, and was driven away.

The Duke’s brief admission to hospital forced him to miss two major events in the Queen’s calendar on Wednesday, the State Opening of Parliament and Royal Ascot. The Prince of Wales took Prince Philip’s place at the Queen’s side when she went to Westminster to give a speech outlining the government’s programme, and the monarch, who attended Ascot as usual, was kept informed about her consort.

With the Duke’s advancing years – he celebrated his 96th birthday on 10 June – there was likely to have been concern for his health.

But Buckingham Palace stressed on Wednesday that Philip was in “good spirits” during his time in hospital and a source said on Tuesday, when he was taken ill, he had been on “good form” when at Ascot with the Queen and members of his family.