Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was hospitalized Friday to be treated for a chest infection, Buckingham Palace confirmed.

The energetic prince, who has not been known to have health problems too often, had to be admitted to hospital for "assessment and treatment for a chest infection," a palace spokeswoman said, according to BBC News.

"His Royal Highness's programme of engagements for the weekend has been cancelled," she added.

The prince was last seen in public last week, on the occasion of President’s Sarkozy visit. He appeared in the media as talking and joking with Carla Bruni, the French president’s wife.

But this week he caught a severe cold, which led to a chest infection and caused him to miss the thanksgiving service at Windsor Castle for Sir Edmund Hillary, the first mountaineer to conquer Mount Everest.

Rumors that the Duke suffered from heart problems spread last year, but they were never confirmed.

This week, Prince Phillip has been the center of attention, as a jury was trying to establish a verdict in the case of Princess Diana’s death. Dodi Al Fayed’s father, Mohamed Al Fayed, has repeatedly accused the Duke of having ordered the assassination of the princess.

This week, coroner Scott Baker concluded that there was no evidence that any member of the royal family had been involved in the death of Princess Diana. Therefore, he did not allow the jury to find that the death of Diana and her boyfriend was staged, offering them five other options to choose from.