Exactly a month after entering the hospital “feeling bad”, Prince Philip would finally return home on Tuesday. Images captured on Tuesday morning showed the Duke of Edinburgh exiting a London hospital in a black BMW.
“The Duke of Edinburgh was released today from King Edward VII Hospital and returned to Windsor Castle,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “His Royal Highness wishes to thank all the medical staff who took care of him at King Edward VII’s Hospital and São Bartolomeu’s Hospital, and to everyone who sent his best wishes.”
Queen Elizabeth II’s 99-year-old husband was admitted to the private King Edward VII Hospital in mid-February as a “precautionary measure” for “observation and rest”. The palace later said that he was being treated for an infection.
In early March, however, the duke was transferred to another London clinic with a renowned cardiac unit, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, where he underwent surgery for preexisting heart disease, according to the palace.
PETER CZIBORRA / REUTERS
The Duchess of Cornwall, wife of Philip’s son, Prince Charles, said the Duke of Edinburgh was “slightly improving” after the surgery.
Prince Philip was visited in the hospital by Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne. The 94-year-old queen stayed at Windsor Castle, where the couple went through the entire coronavirus pandemic.
The duke, who is due to celebrate 100 years in June, spent exactly one month at both hospitals, marking his longest stay.
Prince Philip has been treated for heart problems in the past. In 2011, he was taken to a hospital by helicopter after experiencing chest pains at the royal estate in Sandringham, in eastern England. At the time, he was treated for a blocked coronary artery, undergoing a minimally invasive coronary stent implantation procedure.
The royal family has faced a series of controversies in recent weeks stemming from Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex’s formal departure from royal duties and the subsequent bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
During a particularly explosive moment in the interview, the royal couple revealed that there were discussions about “how dark” their baby’s skin color would be. The next day, Oprah told “CBS This Morning” that neither Queen Elizabeth II nor Prince Philip commented.
The royal family is now grappling with accusations of racism, with Prince William telling a reporter that they “are not a racist family”.