Prince Philip "Unwell" Ahead of Queen's Service

Prince Philip 'Unwell' Ahead of Queen's Service


The Duke pulled out of an event at the last minute but is
set to attend Tuesday's service for his wife's 60 years on the throne.


11:35pm UK,
Monday 03 June 2013

The Duke of Edinburgh is expected to be at the Coronation
Service

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  Prince Philip has become unwell on the eve of a service marking
  the Queen's 60 years on the throne and missed an official engagement on Monday
  evening.
  
  The Duke of Edinburgh was due to join Her Majesty at a gala event for the
  Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) at St James' Palace, but pulled
  out at the last minute.
  
  However, the 91-year-old prince is expected to attend Tuesday's Coronation
  Service at Westminster Abbey.
  
  A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "The Duke is unwell, but he will be at
  the service tomorrow."
  
  She was unable to give details of the Duke's illness.
  
  More than 20 members of the royal family are due to attend the event.
  
  The Duke of Cambridge and a heavily pregnant Duchess of Cambridge will be
  among the 2,000-strong congregation.
  
  It is the first time they have attended a public event at the Abbey since
  they were married there two years ago.
  The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at the recent
  Derby Festival at Epsom
  Prince Harry, the Duke of York, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the Earl and
  Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Zara Phillips and her husband Mike
  Tindall will also attend.
  
  The Queen was crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury on June 2, 1953, before
  a congregation of more than 8,000 invited guests.
  
  The Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, will conduct Tuesday's
  service, while the new Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Rev Justin Welby will
  give the address.
  
  Prime Minister David Cameron is to give a reading, as will the Secretary
  General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma.
  
  After the service, the Queen and members of the royal family will attend a
  private lunch in College Hall.
  
  At the RNIB event, Her Majesty enjoyed performances by West End star Michael
  Ball and operatic quartet Il Divo.
  The Queen meets Rod Stewart and wife Penny
  Lancaster at the RNIB event
  Ball sang People from the musical Funny Girl. "I thought it appropriate for
  the event," he said before the reception.
  
  "I have sung for the Queen on various occasions, including when we did a
  version of Les Miserables at Windsor Castle a few years ago to mark the
  centenary of the Entente Cordiale with France. This is a great cause."
  
  Il Divo performed a Spanish version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.
  
  One of the group, Urs Buhler, from Switzerland, said afterwards: "It was an
  unusual performance for us, in such an intimate room.
  
  "This was the fourth or fifth time we have performed in front of the Queen -
  we have done the Royal Variety Performance two or three times."
  
  Another star attending - but not singing this year, though he has done so at
  the event before - was Rod Stewart, with wife Penny Lancaster. Both are vice
  presidents of RNIB.
  
  Stewart said he had been suffering from a virus. "I'm feeling great and my
  show at the O2 tomorrow will go ahead," he said.