Ailing Philip hospitalized as precaution
LONDON — Britain’s 99-year-old Prince Philip has been admitted to a London hospital after feeling unwell, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday.
The palace said the husband of Queen Elizabeth II was admitted to the private King Edward VII Hospital on Tuesday evening.
It called the admission “a precautionary measure” taken on the advice of Philip’s doctor. The palace said Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, is expected to remain for a few days of “observation and rest.”
His illness is not believed to be related to COVID-19. The queen and Philip received a first dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus in early January.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office said he “sends his best wishes to the Duke of Edinburgh as he undergoes a few days of rest in hospital.”
Philip retired from public duties in 2017 and rarely appears in public. His most recent public event was a military ceremony at Buckingham Palace in July.
During England’s coronavirus lockdown, the duke has been staying at Windsor Castle, west of London, with the queen, who has performed duties such as meetings with dignitaries remotely.
Lockdown permitting, the royal household is planning celebrations, to mark Philip’s 100th birthday on June 10.
Philip married the then-princess Elizabeth in 1947 and is the longest-serving royal consort in British history. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
A former naval officer and keen polo player, Philip enjoyed robust health well into old age but has had several health issues in recent years.