With a grin and a wave, duke heads home

The Duke of Edinburgh is back with the Royal Family at Sandringham after he was discharged from hospital following a four-night stay.

Prince Philip, 90, was in the front passenger seat of a dark Range Rover as he began the hour-long drive to Sandringham at 9:25am yesterday.

After thanking the staff who cared for him over the Christmas period, the duke smiled and waved as he left Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire. Two other Range Rovers carrying royal protection officers followed him.

He was yesterday able to rejoin his family at the Queen’s private Norfolk estate where he is said to have been advised by doctors to rest.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “On departure, Prince Philip thanked the staff at Papworth for the excellent care he has received during his stay.

“He is very much looking forward to rejoining his family.”

Scores of police officers began combing the hospital’s grounds in the early hours of yesterday morning in preparation for the duke’s departure.

It is not yet clear how active the duke will be when he arrives at Sandringham, or whether he will attend Sunday’s service at St Mary Magdalene church on the estate. He missed the Christmas Day service, which the Duchess of Cambridge attended for the first time.

The duke was taken to Papworth near Cambridge on Friday night after he complained of chest pains.

Following tests, doctors discovered a blocked artery and he underwent a “minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting”, which was declared a success.

It was the most serious health scare suffered by the duke, who is known for being robust and active.

He had hoped to be discharged from hospital in time for the Boxing Day shoot at Sandringham, which he normally leads, but remained under observation in hospital. Despite the setback, he was said to be in good spirits.

He has shunned the pursuits of typical pensioners and even in his eighties continued to compete in demanding carriage driving competitions. Prince Philip’s most recent illness was an uncharacteristic cold in October, which forced him to pull out of an overnight stay in Italy for the launch of the ARC Green Pilgrimage Network.

At the time, he had just completed a busy 11-day official royal tour to Australia with the Queen, 85, that saw them visit Perth, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.

His next formal engagement is a dinner at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge on 17 January.

The duke was visited in hospital by his grandsons, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry on Christmas Day.

The brothers drove separate cars to Papworth after lunch at Sandringham, where the Royal Family traditionally spend Christmas, taking the Duke of York’s daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, and the Princess Royal’s children Zara and Peter with them for a 45-minute visit.

Their visit would have been a welcome distraction for the duke, who is thought to have missed his first Christmas morning service at Sandringham, an annual tradition for the Royal Family, since the early 1990s.

Last night, a spokesman for Buckingham Palace said no decision had been yet taken on how soon the duke would resume his public engagements or whether he would be attending church on Sunday.