Apology over Philip 'cancer' report

Buckingham Palace has settled its official complaint about a report that the Duke of Edinburgh had prostate cancer after the newspaper involved apologised.

London's Evening Standard, which ran the report on Wednesday, printed the apology today, saying: "We now accept that the story was untrue and that he is not suffering from any such condition.

"We unreservedly apologise both to him and to his family for making this distressing allegation and for breaching his privacy."

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "We welcome the apology from the Evening Standard today."

After the report appeared, the Palace issued a statement saying it was a "serious breach of Prince Philip's privacy" and that it was reporting the case to the Press Complaints Commission.

The PCC said today's apology meant the matter had been settled without the need for a formal ruling.

A PCC spokesman added: "This complaint reveals the clear advantages of coming to the PCC with complaints of privacy intrusion.

"The process has been quick: the final settlement was negotiated less than 36 hours after the original complaint was made.

"In contrast with some legal actions, it has involved no further private details - which in this case could have related to Prince Philip's health - being released into the public domain.

"The apology has been prominent and proportionate. And the PCC costs nothing to use."