Prince Philip, 90, given heart stent
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II’s husband has undergone surgery for a blocked coronary artery, British royal officials said Friday.
Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip, 90, was taken from Sandringham, the queen’s sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge earlier Friday for “precautionary tests” after suffering chest pains.
The palace said tests at the hospital showed a blocked coronary artery was causing Philip’s discomfort.
“This was treated successfully by the minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting,” the palace said in a statement. “Prince Philip will remain in hospital under observation for a short period.”
Dr. Simon Davies, consultant intervention cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, said Philip may have had a heart attack — or been on the verge of one — before the stent was inserted.
Philip is known for his good health and rarely misses royal engagements. Upon his 90th birthday in June, he announced plans to cut back his official duties.
By The Associated Press
