Britain’s Prince Philip was admitted to a London hospital Friday for “observation and treatment,” Buckingham Palace has said in a statement.
The prince, who is Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, was admitted as a precautionary measure concerning a pre-existing condition on the advice of his doctor, the palace added.
It was a planned visit, and the 98-year-old walked in for treatment, a spokesperson for the palace told NBC News, adding the queen remains at her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk,
The prince, who is is the longest-serving consort of any British monarch, is expected to stay in the hospital for a few days, the spokesperson added.
He retired from public life in 2017, after spending decades supporting the queen and attending events for his charities and organisations.
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On their golden wedding anniversary in 1997, the queen said he did not take easily to compliments but had been her “strength and stay all these years”.
A former naval officer and keen polo player, Philip enjoyed robust health well into old age but has had several health issues in recent years.
In 2011, he was rushed to a hospital by helicopter from Sandringham 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 hospitalised for ten days in 2018 for a hip replacement.
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