Prince Philip joins queen at Highland Games

Queen Elizabeth II attended the Highland Games at Braemar in Scotland today alongside her husband Prince Philip, who was making his second public appearance since being hospitalised last month.

Organisers had feared Philip, 91, would not be able to attend after he spent five nights in hospital in Aberdeen receiving treatment for a recurrence of a bladder infection before being discharged on August 20.

The royal family make an annual outing to the Braemar Gathering, a short distance for their summer residence at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire where Philip has been recuperating.

Philip defied the cold and damp conditions to accompany the queen, who is patron of the Games, to watch a series of traditional events including caber-tossing, hammer-throwing and the tug of war.

The Duke of Edinburgh, as he is formally known, had first been admitted to hospital with the infection in June, forcing him to miss the end of the diamond jubilee celebrations marking his wife's 60th year on the throne.

Last weekend, the duke made his first public appearance since leaving hospital when he attended a church service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral.

The Games, held at the Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park in the village of Braemar, take place on the first Saturday of each September and regularly attract visitors from around the world.

The Gathering is seen as the biggest event in the Highland Games calendar and has a long history, stretching back in its modern form nearly 200 years.

AFP