Operation On Prince

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29746, 13 February 1962, Page 13

Operation On Prince

( N A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, February 12. Prince Charles, the 13« year-old heir to the British Throne, underwent a successful operation for acute appendicitis early this morning.

The Prince was rushed by ambulance 58 miles from Cheam School to London's Hospital for Sick Children at Great Ormond street just after midnight

An official bulletin issued after the operation at 230 a m. stated that the condition of Prince Charles was "satisfactory.” A later bulletin, issued from Buckingham Palace this morning, said: “The Prince of Wales had a comfortable night and his condition continued to be satisfactory" As soon as the operation was over, the Queen, who, is at Windsor Castle, was told the news by telephone and a cablegram was sent to the Duke of Edinburgh, who was resting at Caracas. Venezuela, on his South American tour. Felt Unwell Doctors were first called after the Prince awoke yesterday morning at Cheam School in Buckinghamshire and complained of feeling unwell.

The physieian-nediatriclan to the Queen <Sir Wilfred Sheldon! travelled to the school from London yester dav afternoon to see the Prince

Appendicitis was suspected and the Prince was rushed to London by ambulance accom ponied by the school doctor The Prince arrived at the hospital just after midnigh’ and it was decided to per form an operation tmmedi ately

Five doctors, Including Str Wilfred Sheldon, attended during the operation, which was performed by Mr David Waterson, surgeon to the for Sick Children The other doctors who attended w»re the doctor of Cheam School <Dr Basil Phillips), the surgeon to the Newburv District Hospital near Cheam. and the anaesthetist. Dr Margaret Hawksley

This morning two night sisters were looking after the Prince in a private ward at the hospital The Prince had returned to Cheam School on January 22 after spending his Christmas holidays at Sandringham with the Queen He was to take his common entrance examination for Gordonstoun. his father'*old school, this term The Hospital for Sick Children, where the operation was performed, is world famous Its medical school the Institute of Child Health has pioneered advances in the treatment of childhood

diseases for many years. Princess Alexandra had an operation for appendicitis at the hospital in 1948 when she was 11, and Princess Anne had her tonsils and adenoids removed there in 1958.

At present, Princess Anne is recovering from a slight cold and she remained indoors during the week-end at Buckingham Palace as a precaution

Mr Waterson, the man who performed today’s operation, made British medical history five years ago when he successfully carried out a hole-in-the-heart operation under deep freeze on a nine-month-old girl, Sara Lake—the youngest girl at the time ever to come through such an operation in Britain