PRAYERS FOR PHILIP
Fears grow and ‘royal mood shifts’ after he is moved to specialist heart hospital
FEARS were last night growing for Prince Philip after he was switched to a specialist hospital for tests on his heart.
The Duke, 99, battling an infection, is now at London’s St Bartholomew’s. There was a “shift” in the royal mood over the move.
A source said: “The staff and all the Royal Family are united in their prayers for the Duke.”
THE mood at Windsor Castle darkened yesterday after Prince Philip was admitted for heart tests as he continued to battle a raging infection, a source said last night.
And fears grew for the 99-year-old, with experts warning he could be in for up to six weeks while he is treated for an underlying cardiac condition.
Philip was moved by ambulance at around 11am from the private King Edward VII hospital in Central London to St Bartholomew’s, Britain’s oldest hospital near St Paul’s Cathedral.
Staff held up umbrellas to ensure the Duke’s privacy as he was carried by stretcher to the waiting vehicle.
A royal source said: “The staff and all the Royal Family are united in their prayers for the Duke.
“There has been an almighty and collective effort to keep him and the Queen safe during the coronavirus crisis over the past 11 months but there was a significant shift in the mood when everyone started finding out the Duke wasn’t coming home any time soon. Everyone’s thoughts are now firmly centred on him pulling through this illness.”
Buckingham Palace said: “The Duke remains comfortable and is responding to treatment but is expected to remain in hospital until at least the end of the week.”
But NHS cardiologist
Dr Aseem Malhotra warned Philip’s infection could “put a strain on his heart” and he may be in hospital for “four to six weeks” and on intravenous antibiotics.
He added: “He had to be taken to a specialist cardiac centre to make sure his heart is functioning while he is treated for infection. What makes it more likely is underlying heart issues.”
Royal biographer Penny Junor said Philip, who is known for not suffering fools gladly or making a fuss, will likely give doctors and nurses clues to how well he is by his demeanour.
She added: “Let’s hope he’s not resigned, let’s hope he’s not being a good patient because I think that would be a bad sign. A cantankerous
Duke is a healthy one.” The Queen, 94, has remained at Windsor Castle, where she and Philip have been staying during the lockdown and is being kept constantly updated with her husband’s condition. She was in good spirits during a video call with officials in Australia that was released yesterday. It had been recorded last Wednesday.
The Duke was visited by Prince Charles, 72, on the first weekend he was in hospital and could be seen by other family members soon.
His transfer marked a fortnight since he was initially taken to hospital. It is not known what infection the Duke was suffering from before he was admitted on February 16, but he has had bladder infections in the past.
At Christmas in 2011 Philip, who turns 100 in June, also had an operation to clear a blocked artery in his heart after being rushed to hospital with chest pains. Barts has a heart attack centre which delivers emergency care 24 hours a day, with access to a team with specialist expertise and equipment.
ROYAL SOURCE ON FEARS FOR THE PRINCE AT WINDSOR CASTLE
There was a significant shift in the mood when we found he wasn’t coming home soon