The 96-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, is recovering after undergoing a successful hip replacement operation Wednesday, Buckingham Palace says.

The palace said Prince Philip was “progressing satisfactorily at this early stage” and was likely to spend several days at London’s King Edward VII Hospital.

He is said to be “comfortable and in good spirits”.

Prince Philip had suffered from hip pain in recent weeks.

Prince had missed family Easter church service

Before he went into the hospital on Tuesday, he missed a number of family events, including an Easter church service with the Queen and other members of the royal family.

The British Orthopedic Association said the Duke of Edinburgh needed surgery because he had osteoarthritis.

Ananda Nanu, the board’s president, said hip replacement patients need strong pain relief after their operations.

Most people can be mobile 24 hours after surgery and increase their activity every day after that, he said.

“At the age of 96, there are slightly greater risks, but he will be looked after by an extremely skilled team,” Dr Nanu said.

Thousands of solo royal engagements since 1952

Prince Philip was an avid sportsman for many years and saw active duty in the Royal Navy during World War II.

He has supported many charities, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which he founded in 1956.

The charity has been active in more than 100 countries and has helped thousands of young people.

Prince Philip announced his retirement from royal duties in May and curtailed most of his charity work, although he still accompanies the Queen on occasion.

He has carried out some 22,000 solo royal engagements since Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1952.

They recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Queen Elizabeth, usually so guarded with her personal emotions, has publicly called him the rock that she depends on.

Prince Philip has suffered from heart disease and other ailments in recent years.