UK's Prince Philip leaves hospital

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Prince Philip, the husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, was released from the hospital on Sunday where he was admitted last week with a chest infection, Buckingham Palace said.

The 86-year-old royal was discharged from King Edward VII Hospital in London at 1:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. ET), the palace said.

He spent three nights at the hospital, it said.

Prince Philip, who also has the title of Duke of Edinburgh, will return to Windsor Castle to continue his recuperation, the palace said. His engagements for Monday have been canceled.

Other future engagements will "be decided on a day to day basis," the palace said.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrated their diamond anniversary last year in front of 2,000 guests.

The couple married in 1947, when she was still a princess. Their wedding was the first big occasion for Britain after World War II and captured the heart of the nation, still struggling to get back onto its feet after the war.

Prince Philip was born in Greece in 1921 as the prince of Greece and Denmark, but his family was exiled from Greece when he was a toddler. He moved to France and then Britain, and renounced his royal title when he became a naturalized British subject in 1947.

He is a veteran of World War II. He joined the Royal Navy at age 18 and rose through the ranks to become a lieutenant.

It was during the war that he met his future wife. Philip gave up his distinguished naval career after Elizabeth became queen in 1953.

Royal-watchers say the prince has stayed active and has had very few health problems.

"He must be one of the most active 86-year-olds in the country," said Richard Fitzwilliams, former editor of International Who's Who.

"Just last year he was the third hardest-working royal -- 406 official engagements. He's someone who has always looked after himself. He had a tough childhood and he has always prided himself in keeping extremely fit."

Philip is the patron of about 800 organizations and was the first president of the World Wildlife Fund.

Fitzwilliams said the prince is still active in sports, even driving horse carriages last year. Philip is a patron of The British Driving Society, which promotes the sport.

The prince has been a staunch defender of the royal establishment, turning against members of the family who have damaged its reputation. Queen Elizabeth has described Philip as her strength.

He is not without controversy, however. Philip was accused of making insensitive remarks after the shooting of schoolchildren in Dunblane, Scotland, in 1996.

Conspiracy theorists have blamed him for having a role in Princess Diana's death in 1997, although the judge at the inquest said this week there is no evidence to support that accusation.

Like the queen, Philip is a great-great-grandchild of Britain's Queen Victoria. E-mail to a friend