Duke of Edinburgh admitted to hospital ahead of hip operation

The Duke of Edinburgh arrives at Castle Rising church for a Sunday service. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)

The operation was planned and is due to take place on Wednesday, Buckingham Palace has said.

The 96-year-old has been admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital in London ahead of the procedure.

The Duke has enjoyed good health throughout much of his life, recovering from a blocked coronary artery in 2011 and a bladder infection in 2012 - the latter leading him to miss the majority of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

His decision to retire from public duties after the summer was not health-related, Buckingham Palace said at the time of the announcement earlier this year.

The Duke is an advocate of healthy eating combined with exercise. He once said he more or less followed the Atkins diet and he drinks only moderately.

He takes the stairs rather than lifts and still fits into the uniform he wore on his wedding day.

He is well-known for his robust constitution. He told a flu expert at a research centre last year that he had not had the illness for 40 years.

Last year he was admitted to hospital as a 'precautionary measure' for treatment of an infection arising from a pre-existing condition.