|
Philip was due to appear with his 91-year-old
wife at the Royal Maundy Service at Leicester Cathedral in
central England and attend a reception and lunch afterwards.
"The duke was keen to attend but made this decision because he
has been experiencing some trouble with his hip," the royal
source said.
Philip, whose title is the Duke of Edinburgh, retired from
public life last August although he said he would still attend
some events.
Last June, he spent two days in hospital as a precautionary
measure for the treatment of an infection and he pulled out of
another event earlier this month because of ill health,
according to British newspaper reports.
The traditional Maundy service, one of the most ancient
ceremonies in the Church of England, sees the queen distribute
money to 91 men and 91 women made up from pensioners in the
local community.
"The order of service was printed some weeks ago when it was
hoped the duke would be able to take part," Buckingham Palace
said in a statement. "His Royal Highness has since decided not
to attend."
(Reporting by Costas Pitas and Michael Holden; editing by
Stephen Addison)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
|
