Prince Philip goes to second hospital

LONDON — Thirteen days after he was initially hospitalized, Britain's Prince Philip was transferred Monday to a second hospital here, increasing concerns over the health of the 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement that doctors would continue to treat him for an infection but would also “undertake testing and observation for a pre-existing heart condition.”

Philip “remains comfortable and is responding to treatment but is expected to remain in hospital until at least the end of the week,” the statement said, adding that he had been transferred to St. Bartholomew's Hospital.

He was originally taken from Windsor Castle, where he had been staying during the latest coronavirus lockdown, to King Edward VII'S Hospital on Feb. 16 after feeling unwell. He traveled to London by car and walked into the hospital unaided, rather than as an emergency admission, for a visit that was described as a precaution. At the time, Buckingham Palace said he was expected to remain there for a few days of observation and rest.

The announcement Monday ends hopes that Philip's hospitalization would be limited to a brief stay, inevitably increasing anxiety about the condition of a patient who turns 100 in June.

According to British media reports, he was transferred by ambulance around 11 a.m. Monday to St. Bartholomew's, an internationally renowned hospital with special expertise in cardiac care.