Prince philip taken to hospital by ambulance

The Duke of Edinburgh has been taken to hospital after a recurrence of the bladder infection he had in the summer, Buckingham Palace has said.  Prince Philip was taken by ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary from Balmoral, some 50 miles away, this afternoon.  He is expected to remain in hospital for the next few days while the illness is investigated and treated, the palace said in a statement.  The Duke spent five nights in hospital in June with a bladder infection following the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the River Thames.  He was discharged from London's King Edward VII just in time for his 91st birthday in June, but his treatment meant the Queen spent some of her jubilee celebrations without him by her side.  At Christmas he was treated for a blocked coronary artery following chest pains.  Some observers have expressed concern about the couple's gruelling schedule during the jubilee year, marking the 60th anniversary of the Queen's ascent to the throne.  Phil Dampier, royal journalist, told Sky News: "I thought the schedule that they had for the jubilee was extraordinary ... it would have had me on my knees or someone half their age on their knees, and yet they carried on with all their duties.  "It has worried me for some time that they have been overdoing it and I'm sure that this is the result."  He said a lift had been installed at Sandringham which the Duke could have used following his heart surgery at Christmas, but he had refused to use it.  "The trouble with the Duke is that he cannot sit still," said Mr Dampier.  Royal photographer Ian Lloyd said: "He's not somebody that you think of as someone in their 90s. He's very much young at heart."Prince Philip was at the Queen's side during the opening ceremony of the London Olympics on July 27 and watched their granddaughter Zara Phillips' Olympic debut.  They are expected at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics later this month.  The Duke has only just returned from two days of engagements in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, in his role as Admiral and member of the Royal Yacht Squadron.  Last week he made a public appearance at a garden party in the northeast of Scotland, attended by the Queen and around 3,000 guests.