THE DUKE IN HOSPITAL
PHILIP, 99, ‘IS UNDER OBSERVATION’
THE Duke of Edinburgh is to spend the next few days in hospital after feeling unwell, Buckingham Palace announced last night.
Prince Philip, 99, has been admitted as a precaution for ‘rest and observation’ and is in good spirits, a spokesman added.
The duke was not being treated as an emergency admission and was able to walk into London’s King Edward VII Hospital after being driven there by car on Tuesday evening, ITV News reported.
Downing Street said PM Boris Johnson had sent his best wishes to the royal ‘as he undergoes a few days of rest’.
Philip’s stay at the private hospital comes weeks after the royal couple received their first Covid vaccine dose.
And his condition was not virus-related, royal sources stressed.
The duke has been holed up with the Queen at Windsor Castle during lockdown with a small household staff – reportedly nicknamed ‘HMS Bubble’.
His hospital stay may throw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s planned interview with US star Oprah Winfrey into doubt. Some commentators believe the March 7 TV appearance could embarrass the royal family – and Meghan and Harry may think twice if Philip remains unwell.
The duke, who retired from royal duties in 2017, was last seen in public in July, when he handed over his role as honorary head of army regiment The Rifles to daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
He was on cheerful form as he stood chatting with soldiers.
Philip spent four nights in hospital in December 2019 after undergoing treatment for a ‘pre-existing condition’. He was discharged on Christmas Eve to join his family at Sandringham for the festivities.
Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who have received their Covid injections, visited the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham yesterday. Camilla told staff that when she had her jab: ‘I leapt for joy. I didn’t feel anything.’