Prince Philip leaves hospital after heart surgery

The Duke of Edinburgh has left King Edward VII’s hospital in central London where he has been recovering after heart surgery, four weeks after first being admitted.

He was driven away from the private hospital on Tuesday morning.

“The Duke of Edinburgh has today been discharged from King Edward VII’s hospital and has returned to Windsor

Castle, following treatment for an infection and a successful procedure for a pre-existing condition,” Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday.

“His Royal Highness wishes to thank all the medical staff who looked after him at both King Edward VII’s hospital and St Bartholomew’s hospital, and everyone who has sent their good wishes.”

Philip, 99, the nation’s longest-serving consort, was admitted on 16 February and, two weeks later, was moved to St Bartholomew’s hospital in the City of London where he underwent the heart procedure on 3 March.

After that, he was transferred back to King Edward’s to recuperate and to continue his treatment. He has spent 28 nights as an inpatient, his longest ever stay.

Concern for his welfare has been heightened because of his advanced age. He has been treated for heart problems in the past and, in 2011, was taken to hospital by helicopter from Sandringham

after suffering chest pains as the royal family was preparing for Christmas. He was treated for a blocked coronary artery at Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire and underwent a minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting.

St Bartholomew’s is home to Barts Heart Centre, Europe’s largest specialised cardiovascular service.

The duke was visited in King Edward VII’s hospital on 20 February by his eldest son, the Prince of Wales, who made a 200-mile round trip and stayed for around 30 minutes.

Philip has spent most of lockdown at Windsor with the Queen for their safety, alongside a reduced household of staff dubbed HMS Bubble. The couple, who have been married for 73 years, received their first Covid-19 jabs in January.