This was the Queen’s response to those distressing Prince Philip rumours

And it’s all very sad.

Being a royal, like most jobs, has both its advantages and drawbacks.

While having a royal title gives access, opportunity and of course the luxury of living in a palace, the downside of course involves the rumour mill.

If you’re a royal, get ready for all manner of rumours - ranging from engagement and pregnancy, to more distressing speculation like divorce and death - and all on a monthly basis.

Prince Philip found this out just this week, when rumours flooded the internet on Friday that the 97-year-old Duke had died.

After the rumours went viral on Twitter, the Buckingham Palace switchboard was reportedly flooded with calls, something that according to The Sun, left the Queen ‘fuming’.

The 92-year-old monarch was reportedly on holiday in Balmoral when the rumours started to spread, while her husband of 70 years was at Sandringham, and after she was informed, she is said to have had a 10 minute phone call to iron out how to deal with the false rumours.

‘They both agreed there was little they could do but they are very, very annoyed,’ a royal insider reportedly told The Sun.

‘It’s not nice to hear people the world over commenting on your health or death, even if you’re used to being in the public eye. It shows how the internet can get out of control. The Queen is absolutely fuming over this and thinks it’s disgraceful.’

The source continued: ‘If he was ill, she would be with him instead of starting her Scottish holiday. In fact not only is he not very ill, he is actually in fine form and is recovering well from his recent hip operation.’

‘It has given him a new lease of life and he hopes to live to 100 just like the Queen Mum!’

Well that’s that then.