Prince Philip has 'good night' after heart surgery
Duke of Edinburgh undergoes stenting procedure to remedy a blocked coronary artery
The Duke of Edinburgh has had "a good night" after receiving treatment for a blocked coronary artery, Buckingham Palace said on Saturday morning.
Members of the royal family were expected to visit Prince Philip, 90, in hospital on Christmas Eve.
The duke suffered chest pains and was taken by helicopter from Sandringham in Norfolk to the specialist cardiothoracic unit at Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire on Friday night.
He underwent a successful "invasive procedure of coronary stenting".
In a brief statement, Buckingham Palace gave an update on his condition, saying "the Duke of Edinburgh has had a good night".
The royal family has gathered at the Queen's private estate for Christmas and will attend the Christmas Day morning service at St Mary Magdalene church.
Prince Philip is expected to remain in hospital for observation for a "short period" and receive a visit from some of his relatives.
If he makes good progress, he could reportedly be back among them for Christmas Day, or the Boxing Day shoot, which he was expected to lead.
Dr Simon Davies, consultant intervention cardiologist at the Royal Brompton hospital in London, said the duke may have been on the verge of a heart attack or actually had one before the stenting procedure was performed.
"They [surgeons] have put a miniature sausage-shaped balloon down the artery, pushed the balloon into the narrowed section and then blown it up. That forces the material that is blocking the artery outwards and then gets the blood flowing down the artery again.
"The stent is like a little metal sleeve fitted over the balloon when it is blown up. This metallic sleeve is opened up and then when the balloon is deflated and withdrawn the stent stays behind."
This is the most serious health scare suffered by the duke, who is known for being robust and active. He has belied his years by carrying on wi! th his m any royal engagements and in October joined the Queen for an intensive 11-day tour of Australia.
The last time he was admitted to hospital for any length of time was in April 2008 when he was ill with a chest infection for a number of days and eventually admitted for treatment. But even with the respiratory problem he walked into the medical institution and walked out three days later, making a full recovery.
Former BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, said the news was "very sad" and "clearly disruptive" for the royal family at Christmas.
The duke would normally have been welcoming guests to Sandringham, which is set in 60 acres of gardens.
Christmas Eve is an important day for the royals as they follow the German tradition of opening their presents then something Queen Victoria and Prince Albert did.
The festive weekend will also see the Duchess of Cambridge spending her first Christmas as a member of the royal family.
Hugo Vickers, a writer and commentator on the royals, told the BBC the Duke would normally think being rushed to hospital was a big fuss.
He said: "He would go to hospital if he needed to, otherwise he would reckon the whole thing was a load of nonsense.
"He's a man who likes to get on with things and he has a wonderful habit of bouncing back from things like this and let's hope he'll do so on this occasion too."
He added that the Duke was "incredibly active" and despite saying before his 90th birthday that he intended to slow down. However, despite stepping down as president or patron of more than a dozen organisations, he has remained busy.
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