Prince William says his grandfather Prince Philip is ‘OK’ and doctors are ‘keeping an eye on him'
Buckingham Palace called Prince Philip’s admission 'a precautionary measure' taken on the advice of his doctor
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince William has spoken out about his grandfather’s health condition.
On Monday, the 38-year-old exchanged a few words with longtime royal photographer Arthur Edwards, who asked the Duke of Cambridge how Prince Philip was doing, People magazine reported.
"He’s OK," said William about the 99-year-old. "They’re keeping an eye on him."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Saturday, Prince Charles visited his father, who was admitted on Feb. 16 to London's King Edward VII Hospital for "observation and rest" after falling ill.
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William’s father arrived at the hospital by car and stayed for about half an hour. According to the hospital’s website, visits are only allowed in "exceptional circumstances" because of the coronavirus pandemic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Monday, Prince William gave a health update concerning his grandfather Prince Philip, 99. (REUTERS)
Buckingham Palace called Philip’s admission "a precautionary measure" taken on the advice of his doctor. His illness is not believed to be COVID-19 related. Philip and his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, received the first dose of the vaccine against the coronavirus in early January.
Philip retired from public duties in 2017 and rarely appears in public. His most recent public event was a military ceremony at Buckingham Palace in July.
During England’s current coronavirus lockdown, the duke has been staying at Windsor Castle, west of London, with the queen, who has performed duties such as meetings with dignitaries remotely.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PRINCE PHILIP SPENDS THIRD NIGHT AT LONDON HOSPITAL AFTER BEING ADMITTED FOR 'PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE'
Lockdown permitting, the royal household is planning celebrations, to mark Philip’s 100th birthday on June 10.
Philip married the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and is the longest-serving royal consort in British history. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince Philip remains hospitalized at London's King Edward VII Hospital. (AP)
A former naval officer and keen polo player, Philip enjoyed robust health well into old age but has had a number of health issues in recent years.
In 2011, he was rushed to a hospital by helicopter after suffering chest pains and treated for a blocked coronary artery. In 2017, he spent two nights in the King Edward VII hospital and was hospitalized for 10 days in 2018 for a hip replacement.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Philip was last hospitalized in December 2019, spending four nights in the King Edward VII Hospital for what the palace said was planned treatment of a pre-existing condition.
He was forced to give up driving at the age of 97, after smashing into a car while driving a Land Rover near Sandringham estate in January 2019. Philip needed help to get out of the Land Rover but wasn’t injured. A woman in the other vehicle suffered a broken wrist.
Even after that, Philip continued to drive a horse and carriage on private land from time to time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.