Prince Philip returns to royal duties in Edinburgh

It is the first time he has been seen in public following an operation and period of convalescence.

The Duke of Edinburgh made his return to public life yesterday at the Royal Society of Edinburghs awards ceremony. Picture: PA

Philip, 92, handed out medals at the Royal Society of Edinburgh to Professor Sir John Cadogan, Professor Michael Ferguson and Sir Ian Wood.

The Duke has been an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh since 1951.

The Queen is the patron of the society while the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal are Honorary Fellows like the Duke.

Following abdominal investigations, the Duke was admitted to the London Clinic on 6 June for a pre-arranged operation which was carried out the next day.

He was discharged 11 days later when he was said to be in “good condition and good spirits”, and has been recuperating.

Philip told an audience of invited guests that it was “a great pleasure to be back in circulation” at the end of the ceremony.

The Duke spoke as he made a spontaneous address to the audience in the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) Wolfson Lecture Theatre.

He told the gathering he wanted to “add my congratulations to the medal winners”.

Philip added: “It’s now quite a long list since I’ve been doing this. But it’s a great pleasure to be back in circulation again.”

Referring to the medal-winners, the Duke joked: “I wish to God I could understand what they’d been doing.”

His comments were greeted with laughter and applause from the audience.

The Duke, who wore a dark blue suit and red patterned tie for the occasion, appeared relaxed and happy throughout the event.

The Duke departed from the event slightly earlier than scheduled.

As he entered and left the building, he smiled and waved at the crowds gathered in George Street, who cheered and clapped.

It is understood Philip wanted to carry out the engagement in Edinburgh as he had been committed to it for a long time.

It marked the ninth time the Duke has handed out Royal Medals at the RSE.

They are awarded in a range of categories, such as life sciences, physical and engineering sciences, humanities and social sciences, business and commerce.

During the ceremony, the Duke took time to exchange a few words with each recipient as they collected their award.

He also presented the James Clerk Maxwell Award to Professors Richard Muller and Richard White, of the University of California, for their pioneering work in microelectro-mechanical systems technology.

Speaking after the event, Professor Sir John Arbuthnott, president of the RSE, welcomed Philip’s presence at the annual event.

He said: “It’s wonderful to have him back again at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He’s been here many times and he’s been an Honorary Fellow for 60 years.

“I think he shows always a great awareness of the work that these medallists have done. He speaks to them about their subjects and is thoroughly interested in what they do. He very much enjoyed his visit.

“I thought he was very relaxed and under no strain. I thought he was very relaxed indeed.”

During the visit, the Duke also signed a medallists’ book and viewed an exhibition about the quest to discover the Higgs boson.

He also got to meet the man who gave his name to the particle, Professor Peter Higgs, who was himself awarded a Royal Medal in 2000.

During today’s award ceremony, Professor Michael Ferguson, Dean of Research for the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee, was recognised for his work in drug discovery to combat parasites and for his leadership of a “world-class” team of scientists.

Businessman Sir Ian Wood, former chairman of the Wood Group, was honoured for his contribution to business and commerce in Scotland, and for his public service through a variety of roles.

Professor Sir John Cadogan, former director of research at BP and president of the Learned Society of Wales, was awarded a Royal Medal for his “outstanding contribution” to organic chemistry, through his research, discovery and invention.

The Duke is now due to go to Balmoral, the Queen’s private estate in the Scottish Highlands, where he is expected to stay until October before returning to London.