The Duke of Kent – a cousin of The Queen – has been admitted to hospital in Scotland after suffering a hip injury, Buckingham Palace said today.
The injury, thought to have been sustained while staying at The Queen’s highland residence Balmoral, is suspected to have resulted in a dislocated hip for the 79-year-old. The Duke was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary near the Balmoral estate on Sunday, Buckingham Palace haven’t given any more details as yet.
Despite his age, the Duke remains one of the most active members of the Royal Family, having performed 206 engagements last year.
The 33rd-in-line to the throne is a first cousin of The Queen and succeeded to his title aged just seven in 1942 after his father was killed in a plane crash during the Second World War.
As he grew older, the Duke begun to take on royal duties on behalf of his cousin The Queen.
The Duke suffered a stroke back in 2013 which forced him to stop riding on horseback for the annual Queen’s Birthday Parade as Colonel of the Scots Guards as he had been doing for years previously, opting to sit along with The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh on the saluting dais, travelling by carriage.
His Royal Highness’s next engagement isn’t until 13th April at St James’s Palace, though the Palace have yet to give any word as to whether this will still go ahead. He last performed engagements on Wednesday during a visit to Swansea.
One of the Duke’s most high profile roles is his attendance at Wimbledon, which he does in his capacity as president of the All-England club. He presents the trophy to the winner at the end of the tournament.
The Duke resides at Wren House on the grounds of Kensington Palace, which acts as his London home.
photo credit: RiAus
