Fears for Philip as he’s moved to top heart unit
FEARS for Prince Philip’s health were mounting last night as he was transferred to a specialist heart centre after two weeks in hospital.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, was taken by ambulance from King Edward VII’s Hospital in central London, where he had been receiving treatment for an unspecified infection, in a cloak-and-dagger operation.
He was taken out into a pre-positioned ambulance at the rear of the building, hidden by staff wielding golf umbrellas.
Philip was then transferred to nearby St Bartholomew’s Hospital, where he is to undergo testing and observation for a pre-existing heart condition, Buckingham Palace said.
The hospital boasts the UK’s largest heart centre and is the biggest centre of excellence for adults with congenital heart disease.
Philip previously underwent emergency surgery in 2011 for a blocked coronary artery and had a stent fitted, forcing him to give up some of his favourite pastimes such as shooting.
The Palace said in a statement after the transfer yesterday morning: ‘The duke remains comfortable and is responding to treatment but is expected to remain in hospital until at least the end of the week.’
St Barts is an NHS hospital but Buckingham Palace declined to say whether Philip was being treated as a health service patient or whether he was admitted privately.
Remarkably, the Queen, 94, has carried on working throughout her husband’s hospital stay.
Last night Buckingham Palace issued new footage of her smiling and laughing as she took part in a virtual statue unveiling from Windsor with South Australian officials last week – the epitome of public service in the face of extreme personal pressure.
‘Good morning,’ the Queen beamed. ‘ Well, that’s good morning to me. I don’t know what time of day it is to you!’
Her Majesty, dressed in a pink dress and pearls, was briefed on developments in the region, including the vaccination rollout to key workers, the response to Covid-19 and the lifting of restrictions.
She was joined at the virtual unveiling by sculptor Robert Hannaford, who installed the statue in the grounds of Government House.
On seeing the statue, the monarch exclaimed: ‘Oh really! I think possibly it might be quite alarming to suddenly see it out of the window – you’d think, gracious, has she arrived unexpectedly?’ Mr Hannaford also presented Her Majesty with a ‘ maquette’, a scale model that will be sent to her.
Her husband, who is just over three months away from his 100th birthday, was initially admitted to the private King Edward VII Hospital on February 16 for ‘observation and rest’ after feeling unwell.
Aides stressed that he had walked into hospital unaided and was in ‘good spirits’. But there was widespread concern when Philip did not come out after a few days as expected.
An apparently tearful Prince of Wales was seen visiting his father the following Saturday after making a 200-mile round trip from Gloucestershire.
St Bartholomew’s is close to St Paul’s Cathedral and is Britain’s oldest hospital, which will celebrate its 900th birthday in 2023.
Its specialist heart attack centre delivers emergency care 24 hours a day, with rapid access to a team with specialist expertise and equipment.
Last year the service was rated No1 for cardiac arrest survival rates in London, according to the NHS website.
‘Epitome of public service’