LONDON (AP) – Prince Charles went to a London hospital on Saturday to visit his father, Prince Philip, who was admitted earlier in his week for “observation and rest” after falling ill.
Carlos arrived at King Edward VII Private Hospital by car in the afternoon and stayed for about half an hour. The hospital’s website says visits are only allowed in “exceptional circumstances” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Philip, 99, was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday on the advice of his doctor in what Buckingham Palace described as “a precautionary measure”.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband is expected to stay for the weekend and next week.
Philip’s disease is not believed to be related to COVID-19. He and the 94-year-old queen received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine in early January.
Philip, who retired from public service 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, Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, is staying at Windsor Castle, west of London, with the queen, who performs functions like meetings with dignitaries remotely.
The royal house is planning celebrations to mark Philip’s 100th birthday on June 10, if blocking restrictions permit.
Philip married then Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and is the oldest royal consort in British history. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
The youngest great-grandson, son of Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, was born on February 9 and was named Augustus Philip Hawke Brooksbank, with one of his middle names a tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh.