Prince Philip Has Been Hospitalized

Feb 17, 2021 by apost team

Prince Philip has been admitted to hospital after the 99-year-old Royal felt "unwell." The Duke of Edinburgh was driven by car – not an ambulance – to the King Edward VII hospital in London on Tuesday evening as a precautionary measure for an unspecified reason. According to the BBC, Prince Philip admitted himself voluntarily and not as a result of an emergency. He is also said to have been capable of walking himself into the hospital without the help of an aid. 

Queen Elizabeth II stayed behind at Windsor Castle, where the Royal couple has been self-isolating. Because they are at risk, a selected team of Royal staff dubbed the HMS bubble have been residing with them at Windsor. Prince Philip – who will be turning 100 years old in June – celebrated his 73rd wedding anniversary with the Queen in November under lockdown. They also celebrated Christmas without their family at their Berkshire residence, as opposed to their Sandringham home. Both the Queen and Duke have received their COVID-19 vaccines earlier this year, and it is believed that the hospitalization is not related to the novel virus.

The Duke had felt unwell yesterday evening and had called a doctor, who then recommended the 99-year-old admit himself to a hospital for observation. The Palace stressed, however, that Prince Philip only acted on extra caution. It comes as no surprise that the Palace has released so little information concerning the Prince's condition, as this has always been the precedent. Judging on previous incidents concerning the Royal family's health, the Royal representatives has always been extremely protective of their privacy. 

Prince Philip was born June 10th, 1921 in Mon Repos, Corfu, Greece. Prince Philip has royal roots himself: he was the Prince of Greece and Denmark and was born when his parents Prince Andrew and Princess Alice were still reigning over Greece, according to the Royal Website. However, after political turmoil broke out, his family left Greece. Prince Philip adopted the name Mountbatten when he became a “naturalized British subject” and renounced his title just one day before marrying Princess Elizabeth. 

The couple first met in 1934 when they attended the wedding of Prince Philip's cousin, Princess Marina of Greece, to Elizabeth's uncle, the Duke of Kent, reports ABC News. Princess Elizabeth was only 13 years old at the time. They announced their engagement on July 9, 1947, and were married 4 months later at Westminster Abbey as per the Royal Website. They share 4 children together: Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. He was then reared mainly in Great Britain, being educated at Gordonstoun School in Scotland, which was followed by his attendance of the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England. His love story with the Queen began when then-13-year-old Elizabeth developed a crush on the 18-year-old Prince Philip, who was a naval cadet at the time. 

The relationship truly blossomed when young Prince Philip saw young Elizabeth perform in the pantomime Aladdin in 1943 according to Biography.com. 

Their relationship continued to become stronger through the years and Prince Philip asked Elizabeth to marry him in 1946. 

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Before Prince Philip's and Queen Elizabeth's wedding, he was required to give up his titles and succession to the throne in Greece. He did so willingly and took on his mother's surname Mountbatten. 

According to Britannica, Prince Philip served with the Royal Navy during World War II. Prince Philip continued active service in the Royal Navy until Elizabeth's accession to the throne on February 6th, 1952. Until the conclusion of his service, he commanded the frigate Magpie.

He has been an active and dedicated member of the Royal family ever since Queen Elizabeth's crowning. In a subtle gesture to her long relationship with Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth wore her Chrysanthemum Brooch on her pale blue wool dress in her 73rd-anniversary photograph. 

She was first photographed wearing this dazzling piece as she strolled through the gardens in Broadland during her honeymoon in Hampshire in 1947. She wore it again in 2007 as she marked her 60th anniversary and posed with Prince Philip for their official portrait. Speaking of Prince Philip on her 50th anniversary in 1997, ABC reports that she said, “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years."

In their 73 years together and as the currently reigning couple, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth have watched and experienced all major world events unfold. Today, they are also affected by the current pandemic. Prince Philip, who usually lives at the Wood Farm in Sandringham, Norfolk joined the Queen at Windsor Castle ahead of the first lockdown in March this year, where they have been living for the last 8 months, reports The Daily Mail. 

Yesterday was not the first time the Duke had been hospitalized because of an ailment. In December 2019, Prince Philip spent a few days in the hospital for observation for a pre-existing condition. He was discharged on Christmas Eve, just in time to spend Christmas with his family. In December 2011, he was hospitalized for a blocked coronary artery at Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire, and just half a year later again for a bladder infection. The latter rendered the Prince too unwell to attend Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee celebrations. 

In 2013, Prince Philip was once again in the hospital, this time for an exploratory abdomen surgery. In 2014, his deteriorating hearing forced him to adopt hearing aids and in 2016, he left the Battle of Jutland anniversary event early due to a minor ailment. Consequently, in 2017, the Duke of Edinburgh announced he would be stepping down from his public duties. Since then, the Prince underwent hip replacement surgery in 2018,  just one month before attending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's grandiose wedding. In January 2019, the Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a car accident that injured two people on his Sandringham estate in Norfolk. The Royal was not hurt in the crash. 

It isn't yet known if Prince Philip was hospitalized as a result of a previous ailment. However, Buckingham Palace has stressed that his admission should not be a subject of public concern. In their statement, they said: 

“His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was admitted to the King Edward VII hospital in London, on Tuesday evening.
“The duke’s admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’s doctor, after feeling unwell. The duke is expected to remain in hospital for a few days of observation and rest.”

We wish Prince Philip a speedy recovery!