Emotional Charles visits Prince Philip in London hospital
PRINCE Charles was in tears after he visited his father, Prince Philip, who remains in hospital.
Photographs showed Prince Charles wearing a mask with tears in his eyes as he was driven away from King Edward VII’s hospital in London.
The visit raised concerns about the health of Prince Philip, as the hospital only allows visits in exceptional circumstances due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The Duke of Edinburgh, just a few months short of his 100th birthday, was still said to be in good spirits, and royal sources have played down his illness.
But Prince Charles’ visit was a departure from previous hospital visits.
He drove 160km from Highgrove, Gloucestershire, to the hospital in central London, spending 30 minutes inside the hospital.
He had not seen his father since Christmas, with the royal family keeping themselves in isolation because of the pandemic.
The visit came a day after Buckinghamn Palace announced that Prince Harry and Meghan would be stripped of their prestigious patronages.
The couple were also due to give an interview with Oprah to be aired on March 7.
“Time to hide behind the sofa at the palace,” a royal source told The Times of London.
“Oprah is skilled at getting people to talk about their feelings and bound to take them down a path they’ll almost certainly regret.
“No one benefits from that, but Oprah will get it out of them whether they like it or not.”
The debate around the interview comes as royal watchers try to play down Prince Philip’s illness. Royal author Penny Junor said Prince Philip would “regard a visit as fuss”.
“Momentous things are happening in the family at the moment and I suppose it’s perfectly possible that Charles wanted to go and talk to his father and reassure him about Harry,” Ms Junor said.