LONDON (AP) – Prince Charles went to a London hospital on Saturday to visit his father, Prince Philip, who was hospitalized earlier this week for “observation and rest” after falling ill.
Charles arrived at King Edward VII’s private hospital by car in the afternoon and stayed for about half an hour. The hospital’s website says visits are only allowed in “exceptional circumstances” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Philip, 99, was hospitalized on Tuesday on the advice of his doctor in what Buckingham Palace described as “a precautionary measure”.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband is expected to stay over the weekend and next week.
Philip’s illness is not thought to be related to COVID-19. Both he and the 94-year-old queen received a first dose of coronavirus vaccine in early January.
Philip, who retired from public office in 2017, rarely appears in public. His most recent public event was a military ceremony at Buckingham Palace in July.
During the current blockade of the coronavirus in England, Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, stayed at Windsor Castle, west of London, with the Queen, who performed duties such as meetings with distant dignitaries.
The royal household is planning holidays to mark Philip’s 100th birthday on June 10, with blocking restrictions.
Philip married Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and is the longest-lived royal consort in British history. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
The youngest great-grandson, the son of Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, was born on February 9, and was named Augustus Philip Hawke Brooksbank, with one of his middle names a tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh.