Duke of Edinburgh laughs and jokes with staff during his second night in hospital

THE Duke of Edinburgh has spent a second night in hospital amid reports he is in good spirits and has been laughing and joking with staff.

The 98-year-old was admitted to the private King Edward VII hospital in Marylebone, central London, on Friday morning for observation and treatment for a pre-existing condition. But despite increasing fears for the Duke’s health, it is hoped he will be discharged and return to Sandringham to join the rest of his family in time for Christmas.

Although he had sparked concerns after contracting a bad cold in recent weeks and has not been in the best of health, he is said to have walked into the hospital unaided. Buckingham

Palace sources said there was “no cause for alarm” despite reports that he was flown by helicopter to London from the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

Indeed, the Queen’s decision to leave the capital for Sandringham just as the Duke was travelling in the opposite direction was said to be a sign she was not overly concerned about her husband’s ill health. It is understood that no senior members of the Royal family intend to visit the Duke in hospital.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in Canada, as they near the end of a sixweek sabbatical. The couple and Archie, their seven-month-old son, are expected to be joined for Christmas by Doria Ragland, the Duchess’s mother.

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, yesterday wished the family a

“quiet and blessed stay” in the country, telling them they were “among friends and always welcome here”.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are believed to be at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, while the Prince of Wales will visit victims of the floods in Fishlake, South Yorkshire, tomorrow. He will join the rest of the family at Sandringham on Christmas Eve.

Most senior royals will be seen on Christmas Day as they make the short walk to St Mary Magdalene Church.

However, the Duke of Edinburgh, who missed the family’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace last week, was not expected to join them for the service and did not do so last year.

Buckingham Palace said it would not be providing updates on his condition.