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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Apology over prince cancer story | Apology over prince cancer story |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A newspaper has issued an unreserved apology to the Royal Family over a story that the Duke of Edinburgh had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. | A newspaper has issued an unreserved apology to the Royal Family over a story that the Duke of Edinburgh had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. |
| The London Evening Standard acknowledged the story was untrue and constituted a breach of privacy. | The London Evening Standard acknowledged the story was untrue and constituted a breach of privacy. |
| The paper said the prince, 87, had been diagnosed while being treated for a chest infection in April. | The paper said the prince, 87, had been diagnosed while being treated for a chest infection in April. |
| In its apology, two days after the story, the paper said "he is not suffering from any such condition". | In its apology, two days after the story, the paper said "he is not suffering from any such condition". |
| The paper's apology read: "We unreservedly apologise both to him and to his family for making this distressing allegation and for breaching his privacy." | The paper's apology read: "We unreservedly apologise both to him and to his family for making this distressing allegation and for breaching his privacy." |
| BBC News royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the apology was an "embarrassing climbdown" for the Evening Standard. | BBC News royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the apology was an "embarrassing climbdown" for the Evening Standard. |
| Palace denial | Palace denial |
| On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace took the unprecedented step of denying the front-page story, entitled "Prince Philip Defies Cancer Scare". | On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace took the unprecedented step of denying the front-page story, entitled "Prince Philip Defies Cancer Scare". |
| It also said it would be referring the matter to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC). | It also said it would be referring the matter to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC). |
| The palace statement, which had been authorised by the duke, read: "Buckingham Palace has always maintained that members of the Royal Family have a right to privacy, particularly in relation to their personal health. | |
| "For this reason, we have always refused to confirm or deny the persistent rumours that circulate about their health, particularly during the quieter news months. | "For this reason, we have always refused to confirm or deny the persistent rumours that circulate about their health, particularly during the quieter news months. |
| "But on this occasion, because the damaging story is now being reported widely, the Duke of Edinburgh has authorised us to confirm that the claim made by the Evening Standard that he has received a 'diagnosis of prostate cancer' is untrue." | "But on this occasion, because the damaging story is now being reported widely, the Duke of Edinburgh has authorised us to confirm that the claim made by the Evening Standard that he has received a 'diagnosis of prostate cancer' is untrue." |
| In April, Prince Philip spent three days in King Edward VII's Hospital, west London, where he was treated for a chest infection. |