Prince Philip leaves UK hospital after operation

A file photo shows Britain's Prince Philip waving to members of the media as he leaves the King Edward VII Hospital after treatment in London June 9, 2012.??[Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - British Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on Monday walked out of hospital in London with steady steps, media reports said.

The 92-year-old had an exploratory abdominal surgery on June 7 and was tended at hospital ever since. He was expected to spend two months for recovery, said the reports.

He smiled and waved to the public as he left the private London Clinic, according to the latest image released on the official website of the British Monarchy.

The Duke of Edinburgh expressed his appreciation to medical staff, and members of the public who sent good wishes. "The duke is in good condition and good spirits. He'll take a period of convalescence, of approximately two months," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

Philip received more than 1,000 cards from well-wishers while at the hospital, and his family members, including the Queen, his sons Charles and Edward, and grandsons William and Harry, visited him throughout the stay, reported BBC.

As the longest-serving consort in Britain, the Duke of Edinburgh was not in good health in recent years. He has been hospitalized for three times in the past two years due to blocked coronary artery and bladder infection, missing several ceremony events.