Prince Philip to have hip surgery today ahead of royal wedding

Prince Philip is to have surgery on his hip today, raising fears that he might miss Prince Harry’s wedding day in May.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 96, was admitted to the private King Edward VII Hospital in London yesterday. He is thought to have been suffering with hip pain for a month, during which he missed church services on Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday.

It has not been revealed how long he will be in hospital and if he will miss any upcoming events this spring, most notably the wedding of his grandson Harry to former actress Meghan Markle on 19 May.

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According to the Daily Mail’s Richard Kay, Philip accepted medical advice after being told his hip complaint could prevent him from participating in his “beloved” sport of carriage driving.

“If Prince Philip is in a condition to attend the Windsor Horse show on May 9, he will most likely be fit to attend the wedding ten days later,” adds the journalist, saying these are “key fixtures” in the Duke’s diary.

Having the operation as early as possible is “probably a sensible choice if he’s to feel in better shape for his grandson’s big day”, Sky News’s royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills says.

“A completely restful retirement was never going to be Prince Philip’s style,” she adds. “But clearly he is getting more frail, and while the Duke remains as active as he can be, this hip operation is a reminder that he isn’t getting any younger.”