With a wide grin on his face, the 92-year-old Duke of Edinburgh looked well as he walked unaided out of the London Clinic this morning.
He shook hands with staff and waved jovially to the waiting press before being driven back to the Palace to be reunited with the Queen -- three days before he was due to be discharged.
The Duke was likely to recover in hospital for two weeks, but has been allowed to leave today after making good progress.
However, he will need another two months to recuperate, Buckingham Palace has said.
Happy to be going home: Prince Philip smiles and waves as he left the London Clinic 11 days after an abdominal operation
The 92-year-old Duke had exploratory abdominal surgery a week earlier and was described by his son as doing 'much better'.'
The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry's chauffeur-driven vehicle pulled up outside the hospital around 15 minutes after the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, so for a period of time the Duke had four members of his family with him at his hospital bedside.
The Duke of Edinburgh had a full house as four of his family members were there at once last Friday
Earlier in the day his granddaughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie paid him a visit.
Buckingham Palace said tonight there was no update to the statement they released on Monday that said the Duke was "comfortable and in good spirits" following his operation last Friday.
Charles and Camilla stayed for just over 35 minutes and left the hospital smiling and looking relaxed.
Seeing the Prince: Charles and Camilla were all smiles as they left the clinic last week
The Duke celebrated his 92nd birthday four days ago with a visit from the Queen and the Earl of Wessex.
Prince Charles and Camilla had been Birkhall, their private residence at Balmoral.
Prince Edward was the first member of the Royal Family to visit the Duke last week and said he was doing 'well' after his visit.
His visit lasted 20 minutes and as he left he was asked by the waiting press how his father was and replied: 'Well, thank you'.
The Duke had already received the good wishes of the Prime Minister on his birthday and gun salutes were fired across the UK to mark the milestone.
David Cameron took to Twitter to send a birthday message to Philip: 'Wishing the Duke of Edinburgh a very happy 92nd birthday as he recovers in hospital today.'
The Palace has not revealed what prompted the exploratory surgery but sources said doctors ‘picked something up’ during a routine health check.
The Duke was then admitted to the London Clinic ahead of Friday's pre-arranged operation on Thursday night.
The surgery, known as a laparotomy, was performed on Friday under general anaesthetic.
He was visited by the royal doctor, Professor John Cunningham, on Saturday and the results of the operation are expected later this week.
Seeing her husband: The Queen was pictured holding an envelope addressed to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Watching: A large crowd gathered at the London Clinic as the Queen arrived at about 7pm last Monday
The duke’s latest admission is the fourth time in 18 months that he has needed hospital treatment.
In 2008 he was admitted for four days with a chest infection but refused to receive any well-wishers.
Last August he was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to be treated for a recurrence of a bladder infection while staying with the Queen at Balmoral.
He was in hospital for six days and was not visited by any members of the Royal Family, following doctors’ orders for the elderly Duke to rest.
