Newspaper issues Royal apology

Updated 18.18 Fri Aug 08 2008

Buckingham Palace has accepted an apology from a London newspaper after it reported the Duke of Edinburgh had prostate cancer.

The Evening Standard, which ran the story on Wednesday, printed the apology, 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" - London's Evening Standard

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

After the initial 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.

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

The complaints commission said the 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."