Duke delights crowds by walking to and from church days after heart operation

But it is a fair test for a man of 90, fresh from a heart operation.

The Duke of Edinburgh passed it with no obvious trouble yesterday, to the delight of well wishers who gathered for a glimpse of the Royal family.

The Queen arrived by Bentley at St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Sandringham, near King’s Lynn in Norfolk, for a New Year’s Day church service for her and her house guests, starting at 11am. Her daughter-in-law, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wife of Prince Edward, travelled with her.

But the Duke walked it both ways. On the way there, he was accompanied by Edward, his youngest son. He smiled and waved to a crowd of about 500 and walked briskly into the church, where the Queen read part of the nativity story during the 45-minute service. Prayers included one for servicemen in Afghanistan.

As soon as it was over, the Duke left the church, ahead of the rest of the royal party, and exchanged a few Happy New Years with the public before walking back to the house alone, leaving the Queen, wearing a vivid blue coat and hat with red detail, to chat with the crowd and accept flowers from some young well-wishers, assisted by Sophie and Edward.

There had been doubts whether the Duke would attend at all, following the scare which forced him to miss Christmas at Sandringham and the Boxing Day shoot there, which he normally leads.

He was admitted to Papworth Hospital, Cambridgeshire, on December 23. Doctors discovered a blocked artery and operated to insert a stent to re-open it. The Duke was discharged on Tuesday December 27, after four nights in hospital, and yesterday was his first public appearance since.

His apparent good health and speedy recovery will be welcomed by those organising the celebrations for this year’s Diamond Jubilee – a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth the Second’s coronation.

Prince Philip is booked for a number of engagements across the country, spanning five months.

In October he pulled out of a visit to Italy, because of a cold. His next formal engagement is a dinner at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge on January 17.