Queen Visits Husband Prince Philip In Hosp

LONDON, ENGLAND (BNO NEWS) -- Queen Elizabeth II visited her husband Prince Philip on Monday as he celebrated his 92nd birthday at a private hospital in the British capital of London, but the royal palace indicated the prince is "comfortable and in good spirits" as he recovers from exploratory surgery.

The Duke of Edinburgh walked into London Clinic on Thursday after attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace just hours earlier. He underwent exploratory surgery on Friday following abdominal investigations, and the results are now being analyzed and expected later this week.

"His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh is progressing according to plans at this early stage. He is comfortable and in good spirits," the palace said in a brief statement on Monday. "He will remain in hospital for up to two weeks, and it is expected he will then be taking a period of convalescence of approximately two months."

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Edward, the couple's youngest child, both visited the prince on Monday to mark his 92nd birthday. The celebration was marked by a 41-round royal salute in London's Green Park and a 62-round salute at the Tower of London, as well as a 'Happy Birthday' song being played during Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

On the social networking website Twitter, British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted a brief birthday message to the prince. "Wishing the Duke of Edinburgh a very happy 92nd birthday as he recovers in hospital today," he said. He previously wished the prince a swift recovery.

The queen's husband is known to be active and robust for his age, although he suffered several minor health scares in recent years.

The prince was hospitalized in June 2012 after developing a bladder infection, just a day after accompanying his wife on a royal barge that formed part of a flotilla on the River Thames to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee. It followed a hospitalization in December 2011, during which Prince Philip was found to have a blocked coronary artery and he underwent a 'minimally invasive' procedure of coronary stenting.

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