LONDON (Reuters) – Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s 99-year-old husband, was hospitalized on Tuesday as a precaution after feeling ill with a condition unrelated to COVID-19.
The prince, whose official title is the Duke of Edinburgh, walked unaided into the private King Edward VII Hospital in London after feeling unwell for a short while, a royal source said.
The Queen, 94, stays at Windsor Castle near London, where the couple stayed during the coronavirus pandemic in Britain. Both received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in January.
“The Duke’s admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’s physician, after he felt unwell,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
“The Duke is expected to stay in the hospital for a few days of observation and rest.”
A royal source said Philip did not have a COVID-19-related illness and it was not an emergency.
Within an hour of his arrival, camera crews and photographers from Britain, Australia, France and Germany had gathered outside the hospital where police officers were on watch.
“I am truly sorry to hear that His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, is in hospital,” said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock. “I send him my best wishes for a speedy recovery.”
A former naval officer known for his sometimes brusque demeanor and humor, Philip married Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became queen. He is now by far the longest-serving consort of all British monarchs.
The couple’s marriage, the earlier-than-expected legacy of the British throne and family life with four children have been charted in recent years by the Netflix drama The Crown.
Philip is now rarely seen in public. He retired in August 2017 after completing over 22,000 solo events and thousands more alongside the Queen.
During the pandemic, the royal family visited hospitals and frontline workers, online or in person, to thank them for their efforts. Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, visited staff at a Birmingham hospital earlier on Wednesday.
The royal family has also been in the news in recent days after Philip’s grandson Prince Harry and his American wife Meghan announced they were expecting their second child and agreed to a sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Among the topics they will discuss is why the couple left the royal family last year to spend more time in America.
Greek-born Philip has had several hospital stays over the past ten years, including treatment for an infection in 2017 and a hip replacement. He was previously hospitalized in late 2019.
The duke will turn 100 in June. The tabloid newspapers have reported that he does not want a public outcry.
Additional reporting by Michael Holden and Kate Holton; edited by Guy Faulconbridge, Giles Elgood and Mike Collett-White