Why is this news?

92 year old bloke goes into hospital for scheduled surgery; wife is understandably a bit upset.

Because he's Prince Phillip. An important member of our Royal family and there will be millions of concerned patriotic well wishers around the world keeping a close eye on the event!

It's more newsworthy than whatever the latest Z-list celeb has been doing but the coverage is rather OTT.

Old man goes into hospital for a routine operation…..millions of people know about this but if I happened to mention to a friend that I treated said person in clinic this week (I didn't for the record), I could be struck off for breaching patient confidentiality. Bizarre.

Well, in fairness, he did spend 27 years in prison. And he's 94, not 92.

I can just imagine the conversation between Prince Phillip and Nelson Mandela.........

Are we allowed to remember Mandela was a terrorist? Or is it too soon?

You mean like the French Resistance were terrorists? It's all subjective...

Or indeed half the Israeli government, or Arafat...

Of course, there is the fundamental point: you're not a terrorist if you win.

I'm just glad that South Africa has flourished since the fall of apartheid into a much fairer nation where all the subjects who couldn't vote but were taken care of can now vote and are all much wealthier and healthier for it.

Oh.

i think they prefer the title freedom fighters if they win.

Are we allowed to remember Mandela was a terrorist? Or is it too soon?

Correct