LONDON (AP) – Prince Philip was transferred to a heart hospital in London on Monday for tests and a pre-existing heart condition while continuing treatment for an unspecified infection, Buckingham Palace said.
The husband of Queen Elizabeth II, aged 99, was moved from the hospital of King Edward VII, where he was treated since February 17, to the hospital of St. Bartholomew, specializing in cardiac care. While Philip was moved to an ambulance waiting for the transfer, people raised open shadows to protect him from photographers and the public.
The palace says Philip “remains comfortable and responds to treatment, but expects to stay in the hospital until at least the end of the week.”
Philip was admitted to King Edward VII Private Hospital in London after feeling unwell. 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.
Bart’s Heart Center is the largest specialized cardiovascular center in Europe, the National Health Service said. The center seeks to perform more heart, MRI and CT surgeries than any other service in the world.
Philip, who retired from royal duties in 2017, rarely appears in public. 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.
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.