LONDON – Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was transferred to another hospital on Monday after being admitted almost two weeks ago.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that doctors “will continue to treat you for an infection, as well as conduct tests and observation for pre-existing heart disease”.
“The Duke remains comfortable and is responding to treatment, but he must remain in the hospital at least until the end of the week,” the statement said.
Philip, whose official title is Duke of Edinburgh, is 99 years old. He was receiving treatment at the private King Edward VII Hospital. He will now be at St Bartholomew Hospital, administered by the National Health Service. According to its website, the Barts Heart Center is the largest specialized cardiovascular service in Europe.
The palace’s last statement was on Tuesday, when it said the duke was “comfortable and responding to treatment”. He did not mention the type of infection he had or say anything about its severity, although he did say that he should stay for a few more days.
On the day the statement was released, Philip’s son, Prince Edward, said his father was “much better”
“He is looking forward to leaving, which is the most positive thing. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed, ”Edward told Sky News.
Prince Charles, the first son of the royal couple and heir to the throne, visited his father on February 20.
The queen continued her duties during Philip’s hospital stay. Last week, she encouraged the public to obtain the Covid-19 vaccine in a video call with medical officials.
“After getting the vaccine, you have the feeling that you are protected, which I think is very important and, as far as I could tell, it was quite harmless,” said the queen.
“It was very fast and I received a lot of letters from people who were very surprised at how easy it was to get the vaccine. And the injection – it didn’t hurt at all,” she added, comparing the virus to a plague.
The queen and Philip received their Covid-19 vaccines in January.
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During the coronavirus pandemic, the royal couple is staying at Windsor Castle, about 30 miles west of London. The UK has the highest death toll in Europe.
Philip retired from his public functions in 2017 and is the oldest royal consort in British history.
In April, Philip issued a written statement praising those involved in the fight against coronavirus.
Philip and the queen celebrated their 73rd birthday in November. Together, they have four children – Charles, born in 1948; Princess Anne, born in 1950; Prince Andrew, born in 1960; and Edward, born in 1964 – along with dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Philip has had a number of health problems in recent years and was last hospitalized in December 2019, when he spent four nights in the hospital for what the palace said was the planned treatment of a pre-existing condition, although he did not reveal what it would be. that condition was.