- Duke of Edinburgh had an operation at King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone
- He missed three appearances in eight days because of problems with hip joint
- Queen has remained in Windsor but is being kept informed about his treatment
- Surgery comes ahead of Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle on May 19
Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip is 'progressing satisfactorily at this early stage' at King Edward VII's Hospital, central London.
Flowers were today brought to the private hospital where the royal believed to have had the procedure this morning to try to end weeks of pain.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said today: 'The Duke of Edinburgh has undergone a successful hip replacement operation.
'He is progressing satisfactorily at this early stage.
'His Royal Highness is likely to remain in hospital for several days.
'He is comfortable and in good spirits.'
The 96-year-old had missed three appearances in eight days because of problems with the joint.
The Queen has remained in Windsor but is being kept fully informed about his treatment.
Sources stressed the Royal Family were 'relaxed' about the planned operation, but understand how serious it is for a man in his 90s to undergo surgery.
Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip is 'progressing satisfactorily at this early stage' at King Edward VII's Hospital, central London
A woman brings flowers to King Edward VII Hospital in London's Marylebone this afternoon
Police officers stand guard outside the King Edward VII Hospital in London this afternoon
Philip is said to be hoping to be fit enough to take part in the Royal Windsor Horse show on May 9, and be an active participant at Prince Harry's wedding ten days later.
The procedure is expected to be performed under general anaesthetic, but aides would not say if he is to undergo a full hip replacement or surgery on his cartilage.
In 1995, the Queen Mother became one of the oldest people in the world to undergo a successful hip replacement at the age of 95.
Prince Charles knew about the planned surgery before he left Britain last weekend for an official visit to Australia to open the Commonwealth Games, it is understood.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge saw the Queen and Prince Philip in Windsor over the weekend and returned to their Norfolk home for rest of the Easter break. 
The Queen has remained in Windsor but is being kept fully informed about his treatment. Left: The Duke of Edinburgh pictured at The Braemar Highland Gathering, Scotland in September last year. Right: The Queen and Prince Philip at King's Lynn station in December last year
A police officer stands guard as a man approaches the hospital's entrance this morning
Television crews and other media wait outside the hospital today for news on Philip's condition
A source told the Mail the family were 'relaxed and going about their business as usual'.
The hospital admission followed a series of missed public appearances for the Duke, although he was pictured driving a carriage in Windsor on March 5, and was seen in Windsor Great Park last week.
On March 22 Philip pulled out of an official engagement with the Queen and Prince Andrew because he was said to be unwell.
He had been due to attend a ceremony at Windsor Castle to formally hand over his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards to Andrew.
He then missed last week's Maundy Thursday service and the Royal Family's church service on Easter Sunday, when sources said his hip problem had affected his mobility.
The Duke stepped down from public duties last year - when Buckingham Palace stressed the decision was not health-related - but still accompanies the Queen on some public appearances.
His surgery comes ahead of a busy two months for the Royal Family.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their third child this month and Prince Harry will marry US actress Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle on May 19.
Philip was last photographed when he was seen carriage driving in Windsor on March 5
Buckingham Palace last night issued a brief statement, saying Philip had been admitted to hospital 'for planned surgery on his hip'. Officials said further updates would be issued 'when appropriate'.
While the hospital admission was planned, doctors will be wary of the potential risks of any surgery or anaesthetic, particularly on a man of his age.
Scarlett McNally, an orthopaedic surgeon and council member of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: 'Any operation and any anaesthetic carries some risk.
'What is most important is someone's fitness, as in their heart and lung fitness, how much exercise they do and how well-nourished they are. That's more important than someone's chronological age.'
Prince Philip carried out his 22,220th - and FINAL - royal public engagement last year
Prince Philip retired from official royal engagements in August last year.
As a former Royal Navy officer, Philip's last public solo event, after more than 65 years championing his own causes and charities, fittingly featured men from the Royal Marines, an integral part of the Navy.
The Duke of Edinburgh waved warmly to the crowds outside Buckingham Palace, acknowledging their cheers and was described as 'chirpy' by a senior officer. 
Prince Philip (pictured) retired from official royal engagements in August last year
The event marked the end of the 1664 Global Challenge, which recognises 1664, the year the Royal Marines were founded, and has seen marines push themselves to the limit with a series of physical exploits in aid of the Royal Marines Charity.
At the time, Buckingham Palace stressed the Duke of Edinburgh may decide to attend certain events, alongside the Queen, from time to time.
The Queen's public schedule continues as normal but other members of the Royal Family will step up in support of the monarch in her role as head of state.
Philip carried out around 22,220 solo engagements, went on 637 foreign trips and gave 5,493 speeches since his first in 1947.
Philip has been a life-long advocate of healthy eating and exercise, drinks only moderately and is well-known for his robust constitution.
When he was in his 70s, one of the Queen's former physicians described him as 'astonishingly fit for a man of his age'.
But friends said the Duke - known for his wry sense of humour - had joked he was 'past my sell-by date' even before his retirement.
Concerns were expressed for his health when he appeared to lean against a pillar for support during last year's Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph, when he and the Queen watched from a balcony for the first time.
But a week later he was out carriage driving on the day of his platinum wedding anniversary, and he and the Queen celebrated with a party for more than 100 family and friends.
King Edward VII is the hospital used by the Royal Family
The private hospital in Westminster treats former servicemen and the general public.
However, in recent years, it has been used by the Royal Family including Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cambridge.
In 1995, the Queen Mother had her right hip replaced during an operation at the hospital.
The 90-minute operation was carried out at the famous hospital and she had had treatment there before.
Prince Philip has been admitted to the the King Edward VII Hospital in Central London (pictured here, when Queen Elizabeth II recovered after she was admitted with symptoms of gastroenteritis in 2013)
Meanwhile, in 2002, Princess Margaret suffered a stroke and died at the hospital at the age of 71.
In June last year, the Duke of Edinburgh left the hospital after he was treated for an infection which forced him to miss a royal event.
He spent two nights at the hospital after suffering from an infection triggered by a 'pre-existing condition'.
The Duke was admitted on the advice of a doctor and the setback forced the Duke to miss the State Opening of Parliament and some of Royal Ascot
In 2013, he underwent surgery under general anaesthetic after he was admitted to hospital for an exploratory operation on his abdomen, and spent two months convalescing.
A year earlier he was forced to pull out of several engagements to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, having developed a severe bladder infection after being forced to stand for hours in driving wind and rain during a pageant on the River Thames.
He was rushed to hospital by helicopter in 2011 after suffering chest pains, and was treated for a blocked coronary artery.
Family friend Lady Myra Butter, who has known the Duke since childhood, told the Mail last night: 'I'm really very sorry to hear that he is having surgery and very much hope all goes well.'
RICHARD KAY: Prince Philip's hip operation is to get in shape for Harry and Meghan's wedding... and the Royal Windsor Horse show
Philip attends the Captain General's Parade at Buckingham Palace in London last August as his final individual public engagement
For the most part, Prince Philip takes bouts of ill-health in his stride. But confronted by the possibility that an untreated hip complaint could prevent him participating in his beloved sport of carriage driving, he has accepted medical advice.
The aim of today's procedure is, however, twofold. It means, hopefully, he will be fit enough not just to take part in the Royal Windsor Horse show on May 9, but, crucially, to be an active participant at Prince Harry's wedding ten days later.
Both are key fixtures in Philip's diary. Indeed, Harry favoured Windsor as his wedding venue because it would be easier for his grandfather to attend.
Although he's 96 and therefore the prospect of a general anaesthetic cannot be taken lightly, Philip remains supremely fit and remarkably strong for his age.
He still walks quickly with one hand behind his back, as of old. And he still cuts a dapper figure, with tailored suits and well-polished shoes; this helps give the impression of a much younger man.
Someone seeing him for the first time would not believe he's a nonagenarian.
The Queen Mother underwent two hip operation in her nineties. She had a hip replacement at 95 and then, at 97, had surgery after fracturing her left hip. She recovered to continue carrying out public engagements.
Police stand on guard outside the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, London
The Duke of Edinburgh, of course, has officially retired from royal duties but he still makes a point of showing up at events, often unexpectedly, but to the delight of organisers.
He had hoped to join the Queen for the Maundy service at St George's Chapel in Windsor last Thursday, and his name was in the order of service. He was also absent from the royals' traditional Easter Sunday church service.
The previous week he pulled out of a ceremony to hand over his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards to Prince Andrew.
The fact is that he has endured severe back pain for more than 20 years. It is the reason why, at times, he has appeared irritable in public. But the hip problem has become acute.
A close friend of the duke describes his condition as 'the bones in his hip grinding together.'
Surgery, says the friend, does not intimidate him. 'For him, it is a simple choice; if without the procedure it means he cannot continue carriage-driving, then it is worth undergoing an operation. He will only stop when he no longer enjoys it, not because he can't do it. Above all he wants to remain active.'
When Philip retired from public duties last year, it was not for medical reasons – he simply wanted to enjoy more of his leisure time.
Just a few days after Buckingham Palace announced the decision, he was carriage-driving at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
He turned 96 last June, and a week later helped the Queen celebrate her official 91st birthday at the annual Trooping the Colour parade. On June 20, he spent the day at Royal Ascot, where temperatures were so hot that the dress code in the Royal Enclosure was relaxed for the first time.
Police walk past the entrance to the hospital where the Duke of Edinburgh was admitted
But that evening, Philip was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London as a precautionary measure, for treatment for an infection arising from a pre-existing condition.
He missed the State Opening of Parliament the next day, when Prince Charles stepped in to accompany the Queen.
On his final official engagement on August 2, the prince strode with ease around the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in the pouring rain, meeting Royal Marines.
He made an appearance at the Royal Albert Hall for the Festival of Remembrance in November, and then the following day at the Cenotaph joined the Queen to watch the ceremony from a balcony rather than laying a wreath.
Fears were raised when he appeared to lean against a pillar for support while standing during the Whitehall service. But a week later he was carriage-driving at Windsor on the day of his platinum wedding anniversary, and he and the Queen celebrated in the evening with a party for more than 100 family and friends.
The fact is he has never really been the same since the Queen's Diamond Jubilee six years ago when the duke, just short of his 91st birthday, contracted an infection after spending four hours on his feet in the rain and cold during a pageant on the River Thames.
Abdominal surgery, bladder infections and a blocked coronary artery have seen Prince Philip admitted to hospital on a number of occasions.
But despite having to spend two months convalescing following an operation on his abdomen in October 2013, Philip appeared sprightly and walked unaided on an official visit to a care home when, at the age of 92, he was older than many of the residents.
Royal life has always agreed with him and most of his ailments and injuries have been sports-related.
Philip suffers from arthritis in his right wrist, and broke a bone in his ankle playing polo. His arthritic wrist forced him to give up polo in 1971 – when he was 50 – after which he decided to take up carriage-driving.
The duke is also an advocate of healthy eating combined with exercise. He once said he more or less followed the Atkins diet and he drinks only moderately.
He takes the stairs – two at a time - rather than lifts, and still fits into the uniform he wore on his wedding day.
But it is Harry's wedding day in seven weeks' time that has recently been on his mind. Says the friend: 'With convalescence, he hopes to be there.'
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