The Duke of Edinburgh has carried out his first official engagement in nearly two months, saying it was a "great pleasure to be back in circulation".
It is the first time he has been seen in public following an operation and period of convalescence.
Prince Philip, 92, handed out medals at the Royal Society of Edinburgh to Professor Sir John Cadogan, Professor Michael Ferguson and Sir Ian Wood.
The duke has been an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh since 1951.
The Queen is the patron of the society while the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal are honorary fellows like the duke.
Following abdominal investigations, the duke was admitted to the London Clinic on June 6 for a pre-arranged operation which was carried out the next day.
He was discharged 11 days later when he was said to be in "good condition and good spirits" and has been recuperating ever since.
He told an audience of invited guests at the end of the ceremony of his relief at being able to resume official duties.
The duke spoke as he made a spontaneous address in the Royal Society of Edinburgh's (RSE) Wolfson Lecture Theatre.
Referring to the medal-winners, the duke joked: "I wish to God I could understand what they'd been doing!"
His comments were greeted with laughter and applause from the audience.
It marked the ninth time the duke has handed out Royal Medals at the RSE.
They are awarded in a range of categories, such as life sciences, physical and engineering sciences, humanities and social sciences, business and commerce.
During the ceremony, the duke took time to exchange a few words with each recipient as they collected their award.
He also presented the James Clerk Maxwell Award to Professors Richard Muller and Richard White, of the University of California, for their pioneering work in microelectro-mechanical systems technology.
Professor Sir John Arbuthnott, president of the RSE, welcomed Prince Philip's presence at the annual event.
He said: "It's wonderful to have him back again at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He has been here many times and he's been an honorary fellow for 60 years."
During the visit, Prince Philip also signed a medallists' book and viewed an exhibition about the quest to discover the Higgs boson.
He also got to meet the man who gave his name to the elusive particle, Professor Peter Higgs, who was awarded a Royal Medal in 2000.
Businessman Sir Ian Wood, former chairman of the Wood Group, was honoured for his contribution to business and commerce in Scotland, and for his public service through a variety of roles.
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