Prince Philip attends Cambridge dinner

18th January 2012

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Britain's Prince Philip made his first official engagement at a dinner in Cambridge last night (17.01.12) since undergoing heart surgery in December.

Britain's Prince Philip attended a dinner to mark 100 years since Captain Robert Scott reached the South Pole yesterday (17.01.12).

Both in scientific terms and from a human point of view, the expedition was much more than a simple race to the pole. Of course it came to a tragic end and that is something of personal sadness to the families.

It was the first official engagement the 90-year-old royal has undertaken since having heart surgery just before Christmas (25.12.11), and he and Prince Albert of Monaco met Scott's grand-daughters Dr Dafila Scott and Nicola Starks at the event at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge.

Commenting on the night, Dafila said: "Today is very much a day of mixed emotions. We are enormously proud of the wonderful achievements of my grandfather and the rest of the expedition.

"Both in scientific terms and from a human point of view, the expedition was much more than a simple race to the pole. Of course it came to a tragic end and that is something of personal sadness to the families."

Robert Scott died on the return journey from the pole, after being beaten there by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.

In 1956, the duke was the first member of the royal family to visit Antarctica.