Palace denies Prince Philip has cancer

LONDON, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Buckingham Palace denied a front-page report in a British newspaper that Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, had prostate cancer.

Breaking with a longstanding policy of refusing to comment on newspaper speculation about the royal family's health, the palace said the 87-year-old the Duke of Edinburgh had "authorized us" to say the report was untrue.

The palace said it planned to complain to Britain's Press Complaints Commission over the Evening Standard report, which cited unnamed medical sources as saying Philip had received a diagnosis of prostate cancer while being treated at a hospital for a chest infection in April.

"We believe there has been a serious breach of the Duke of Edinburgh's right to privacy and we will be taking this issue to the Press Complaints Commission," a palace statement said. "We will be asking the PCC to remind all editors of their obligations."

The palace said Philip was away for the week at an annual yachting regatta at the English seaport town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight.