Prince Philip does not have prostate cancer, according to his London residence Buckingham Palace who have blasted the original report saying it is a “serious breach” of privacy.
Popular on LondonNet
After the story appeared in London’s Evening Standard newspaper last night (06.08.08), the palace revealed they had been given permission by the prince, 87, to break their usual protocol and respond to the rumours to set the record straight.
A spokesperson for the palace said: “Buckingham Palace has always maintained that members of the royal family have a right to privacy, particularly in relation to their personal health.
“For this reason, we have always refused to confirm or deny the persistent rumours that circulate about their health, particularly during the quieter news months.
“But on this occasion, because the damaging story is now being reported widely, the Duke of Edinburgh has authorised us to confirm that the claim made by the Evening Standard that he has received a ‘diagnosis of prostate cancer’ is untrue.”
The palace also revealed they will be complaining to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) about the front-page story which read Prince Philip Defies Cancer Scare, adding: “We believe there has been a serious breach of the Duke of Edinburgh’s right to privacy – we will be asking the PCC to remind all editors of their obligations.”
A spokesman for the PCC said: “We have been informed that we will be receiving a complaint regarding the Duke of Edinburgh story, over clauses one and three of the code, accuracy and privacy. But we have not yet received it.”
The prince spent three days in hospital in April after suffering from a particularly severe chest infection.
