Britain’s Prince Philip to return to work after operation: Palace

LONDON (AFP) ― Queen Elizabeth II’s 92-year-old husband Prince Philip is to appear in public this month for the first time since having surgery on his abdomen in June, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The Duke of Edinburgh will travel to Scotland to hand out medals at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, an educational charity, on Aug. 12, the palace said late Saturday.

Philip spent 11 nights in June at the private London Clinic, where he had “exploratory” abdominal surgery.

He has since been recuperating at Windsor Castle, west of London, and at the queen’s Sandringham estate in eastern England.

Palace officials confirmed when he left the clinic on June 17 that he would take two months off to recover from the surgery.

A source said the duke was “continuing to make good progress.”

Philip, a constant presence by his wife’s side throughout her six decades on the throne, has suffered a series of health scares in recent years.

He was hospitalized twice last summer for a bladder infection, missing some of the queen’s diamond jubilee celebrations as a result.

He also spent Christmas 2011 in hospital with a blocked coronary artery which required surgery.

Philip is the longest-serving royal consort in British history, having married the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947.

He is famed for his off-color jokes, but is said to be a key source of support for the 87-year-old queen.