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Prince Philip has been fitted with a stent after being taken to hospital with chest pains yesterday.

The 90-year-old Duke of Edinburgh was found to have a blocked coronary artery when doctors carried out tests at Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire.

Buckingham Palace said this morning: "The Duke of Edinburgh has had a good night." The Queen this morning visited him in hospital . She was joined by Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, while Prince Charles and Camilla arrived later.

Prince Philip's 62-mile journey to the UK’s largest specialist cardiothoracic hospital and the country’s main heart and lung transplant centre came just before 6pm.

He then underwent an "invasive procedure of coronary stenting" - which inserts a small plastic-coated tube into the blocked part of the blood vessel to prop it open. It can be used to prevent a future heart attack or to treat a patient having one and is usually carried out under local anaesthetic.

A catheter is guided into the area which requires treating. Once in position, a tiny balloon inflates to expand the stent in the blockage and allow the blood to flow freely. The balloon is then deflated, leaving the stent in place, and the catheter is removed. Many patients are able to go home from hospital the following day.

The Palace have not confirmed whether the Queen's husband suffered a heart attack, but said the procedure was successful. The Duke is expected to remain in hospital under observation for a short period.

The Duke had been at Sandringham since Tuesday ahead of the Royal Family's traditional Christmas celebrations.

Members of the Royal Family who have gathered at Sandringham for Christmas will be reassured that the procedure has gone well. If he makes good progress the Duke could conceivably be back among them for Christmas Day, or the Boxing Day shoot, which he was reportedly supposed to be leading. Philip would normally have been welcoming guests to the Queen's private home, which is set in 60 acres of gardens, offering the perfect sanctuary for the family's break. 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 . A large media presence is expected at Sandringham on Christmas Day when the Queen and her family make the short journey to St Mary Magdalene Church on the royal estate for a traditional service. On Christmas Day the royals will awake to find stockings filled with small gifts and fruit at the foot of their beds. Back at the house after the church service, lunch is served at 1pm and the family enjoy a giant turkey, reared at Sandringham. One of the highlights of the day is when the royals gather around a television to watch the Queen's traditional Christmas broadcast. The Queen quietly leaves the room and lets her family watch the national address by themselves.

Philip has managed a heart condition for almost 20 years as he bravely ploughed on with his royal duties at the Queen’s side.



He was renowned for being impeccably fit well into his sixties – passing a heart test to renew his pilot licence with nearly top marks when he was 63.



He had a cancer scare in 1996 when he developed a growth on his nose. It was benign and he had it removed.



In 2007 it was reported that he suffered a serious bout of ill-health which caused concern among the Royal Family.



He recovered and afterwards insisted on continuing with a full programme of engagements, refusing to curtail his busy schedule.



The duke, who is patron of the British Heart Foundation, has had to take medication regularly.

His bodyguards are always fully briefed on his heart condition and are under orders to take him to hospital if he becomes dizzy or short of breath.



They have been “instructed” not to take “no for an answer” in those circumstances and contact doctors immediately.



It is thought his busy timetable may have in the past taken a toll on the prince. When it has been suggested he cuts back on his engagements, one aide is reported to have said in the past: “Who is going to tell him? To be blunt, the duke is not somebody you tell what to do.”



He has been for regular check-ups for his heart for more than a decade at London’s King Edward VII Hospital.



In 2008 he was admitted to hospital for treatment for a chest infection. He was taken to the £500-a-night private hospital after he caught a cold and his health deteriorated. On that occasion he was treated by the Physician to the Queen, Harley Street’s Prof John Cunningham.



He also has a prostate condition which he has been treated for at the same hospital.



Checks were carried out on his prostate gland after routine tests which showed high levels of PSA – a protein produced by the prostate and a warning sign for cancer. Since then his health has been under “active surveillance”.



The Prince has had a busy year of engagements, including a jam-packed 10-day visit to Australia with the Queen just two months ago.



As well as accompanying the Queen on most of her official visits, Philip also hosts regular dinners and receptions of his own for the charities and organisations that he is close to.



The Queen and Philip have a busy year planned for 2012 as the Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee.



They will be the focus of the main Jubilee celebrations in June and have opted to stay close to home for the rest of the year, carrying out a UK tour while younger members of the family travel abroad.



The hospital where Prince Philip was taken is a world leader in its expertise in heart surgery.

Despite the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn being only 5.7 miles from Sandringham, Philip was taken the 62 miles to Papworth Hospital in Cambridge because of the superior care on offer.



Papworth describes itself as the UK's largest specialist cardiothoracic hospital and the country's main heart and lung transplant centre.



It treats more than 22,800 inpatient and day cases and 53,400 outpatients each year from across the UK. Its services include cardiology, respiratory medicine, and cardiothoracic surgery and transplantation.



