LONDON (AP) – Britain’s Prince Philip is expected to stay in a hospital in London for several days after being admitted to what Buckingham Palace described as “a precautionary measure” earlier this week.
Queen Elizabeth II’s 99-year-old husband stayed at private King Edward VII’s Hospital on Friday, where he was admitted on Tuesday evening.
The palace said Philip’s admission was on the advice of his doctor and he is expected to stay for observation and rest all weekend and the following week.
Philips disease is not believed to be related to COVID-19. Both the queen, 94, and Philip received a first dose of a vaccine against the coronavirus in early January.
Philip walked into the hospital unassisted after arriving by car, and the palace has said he was admitted out of “an abundance of caution.”
Philip, who retired in 2017, rarely appears in public. His most recent public event was a military ceremony at Buckingham Palace in July.
During the current confinement of the coronavirus in England, the Duke stayed at Windsor Castle, west of London, with the Queen, who has performed tasks such as meeting with remote dignitaries.
The royal family is planning celebrations to mark Philip’s 100th birthday on June 10, lockdown restrictions allow.
Philip married then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and is the longest-serving royal consort in British history. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Philip last had a spell in a hospital when he spent four nights in King Edward VII in December 2019, where he was treated for a “pre-existing condition” and discharged on Christmas Eve.