The husband of Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, has been transferred from the private King Edward VII’s Hospital in London to the public St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. There he will continue treatment for an infectious disease and undergo tests for previously identified heart problems.
Prince Philip is 99 years old and will celebrate his 100th birthday in June. On February 16, he became unwell and was taken to the King Edward VII Hospital, where he spent nearly two weeks. The exact reason for his hospitalization was not disclosed, but Buckingham Palace stated that it was not due to a coronavirus.
The royal couple were vaccinated against Covid-19 in early January, and expressed a desire to make a public issue of it to draw the attention of the British people to the importance of vaccination. Queen Elizabeth II is younger than her husband, aged 94.
In mid-February, the Queen’s Office reported that Prince Philip had entered the hospital building on his own during the first hospitalization. On Monday morning, a patient was put into an ambulance for further transport, which the staff covered with large umbrellas in front of journalists. The press believes that it could have been the Queen’s husband.
Journalists believe the umbrellas were used to conceal the moment Prince Philip was transferred to an ambulance outside King Edward VII Hospital. Over the past two weeks, the Duke of Edinburgh has been visited in hospital by his son, Prince Charles. The royal couple’s younger son, Prince Edward, the Earl of Essex, and grandson, Prince William, have released messages saying the Duke is improving and under close medical observation. Details about the reasons for his transfer to another hospital are not reported.
St. Bartholomew’s Hospital is known for its cardiology department and specialists in the field. All members of the Royal Family, including the Queen, continued to carry out their public duties during Prince Philip’s hospitalization. In particular, Queen Elizabeth II held a videoconference with the leaders of the British health system dedicated to the vaccination campaign, as well as a charity ceremony at Windsor Palace with the observance of social distancing measures.