Duke of Edinburgh spends fifth day in hospital as royals stay away to let him rest

THE Duke of Edinburgh missed a church service attended by members of the Royal Family yesterday as his stay in hospital entered its fifth day.

THE Duke of Edinburgh missed a church service attended by members of the Royal Family yesterday as his stay in hospital entered its fifth day.

• Royal family attend church service at Crathie Kirk

• Duke of Edinburgh in hospital since Wednesday with bladder infection

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Prince Philip, 91, continued to receive treatment at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for a flare-up of a bladder infection while the Queen and the Prince of Wales were among those attending the service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral.

The Duke has not received any visits from his relatives after being advised by doctors on Friday to rest, but he is said to have been in regular contact with members of his family by telephone.

He was admitted to the NHS hospital on Wednesday, during his and the Queen’s annual summer break at Balmoral. Officials said at the time that he would be in the infirmary for a few days. However, it remains unclear when he will be discharged.

Buckingham Palace did not issue any updates on the Duke’s condition yesterday, although he was previously said to be responding well to treatment for the recurrence of the infection he suffered in the summer.

Last week it emerged an RAF search and rescue helicopter was dispatched to fly Philip to hospital on Wednesday, but poor visibility and heavy rain meant the crew were unable to reach him. The Sea King landed four times during the expedition, but could not get close enough.

The Duke made the journey of almost 50 miles from the castle in the Cairngorms to the city hospital by road in an ambulance instead.

His latest health scare comes less than three months after he spent five nights in hospital with a bladder infection following the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames.

He had to miss some of the key celebrations for the Queen’s 60-year reign after he was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital in London the day after braving wet and windy elements on a barge for several hours. Prince Philip also had a successful procedure to clear a blocked coronary artery in December and was in hospital for four nights over Christmas.

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In March this year, his grandson Prince Harry said the operation had given him “a new spurt of life”.

The Duke went to Balmoral after attending several Olympic events. He was with the Queen during the opening ceremony and when they toured the Olympic Park. He then saw his granddaughter Zara Phillips’s Olympic equestrian debut and watched boxing a few days later.

The Duke also appeared to be in good spirits recently when he took part in events as part of Cowes Week on the Isle of Wight.

When he was in Scotland earlier this month, he supported the Queen at engagements including hosting a tea party at Balmoral.

It is not yet known whether he will attend his next official engagement – accompanying the Queen to the opening of the London 2012 Paralympic Games in just over a week’s time on 29 August.

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