Prince Philip to stay in hospital after heart surgery
The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, has been in hospital for 16 days, after he was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital on February 16 before being moved to St Bartholomew's on March 1 The Duke of Edinburgh has undergone a successful operation for a preexisting heart condition, Buckingham Palace has said.
Prince Philip(pictured), 99, will remain in hospital for a number of days following the procedure.
A statement from Buckingham Palace said: "The Duke of Edinburgh yesterday underwent a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
"His Royal Highness will remain in hospital for treatment, rest and recuperation for a number of days."
Philip was was initially admitted to the private King Edward VII's Hospital on February 16 as a precautionary measure after feeling unwell, before being moved to St Bartholomew's on Monday.
Four days later, he was visited by his eldest son the Prince of Wales, who made a 200-mile round trip and stayed for around 30 minutes.
He was then moved by ambulance to St Bartholomew's Hospital in the City of London on Monday for testing for a preexisting heart condition and treatment for an infection.
Philip has spent 16 nights in hospital — his longest ever stay. His previous longest stay was the 11 days he spent in hospital in 2013 after having a procedure on his abdomen.
The duke has spent most of lockdown residing at Windsor Castle with the Queen for their safety, alongside a reduced household of staff dubbed HMS Bubble.
The Queen has reportedly been unable to visit the prince in hospital due to coronavirus restrictions.
Visitors are only allowed into clinical areas of St Bartholomew's for very limited reasons at this time, such as seeing a patient who is at the end of their life.
But the Queen has been carrying on with her duties as head of state during her husband's hospital stay, holding a telephone meeting with the Chief of the General Staff.
The monarch, 94, spoke to General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith on Tuesday morning about how the Army has continued to support communities throughout the UK amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Daughter-in-law Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, said yesterday that the royal family all had their "fingers crossed" for the duke as she gave an update on his condition.
She said he was "slightly improving" but his treatment "hurts at moments".
News of the procedure comes just days before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey and amid bullying allegations.
The couple's sit-down with the television host is being aired on CBS in the US at 8pm on March 7, which is 1am on March 8 UK time.
ITV will then be screening the programme for British audiences at 9pm on March 8. The interview is expected to cover a wide range of issues, with Meghan accusing the royal family of 'perpetuating falsehoods' about her and her husband in a newly released teaser. — Mirror.