LONDON (AP) – Prince Philip has had a successful heart procedure at a London hospital and is expected to remain in “rest and recovery” for several days, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.
The palace said Queen Elizabeth II’s 99-year-old husband “underwent a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at St Bartholomew’s Hospital”
“His Royal Highness will remain in hospital for treatment, rest and recovery for several days,” the palace said in a statement.
Philip, 99, has been admitted since he was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London on February 16, where he was treated for an infection. On Monday he was taken to a hospital specializing in cardiac care, St. Bartholomew.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, said Wednesday that Philip’s condition “improves slightly.”
“We will keep our fingers crossed,” said Camilla, who is married to Prince Charles, Philip’s eldest son and queen.
Philip’s disease is not thought to be related to coronavirus. Both Philip and the monarch received vaccines against COVID-19 in January and chose to publicize the matter to encourage others to get the vaccine.
Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, retired in 2017 and rarely appears in public. Before being hospitalized, Philip had isolated himself at Windsor Castle, west London, with the Queen.
Although he enjoyed good health into old age, Philip has had heart problems in the past. In 2011, he was taken to hospital by helicopter after suffering chest pains and was treated for a blocked coronary artery.
Philip, the longest-serving royal consort in British history, married then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Her illness occurs when the royal family prepares for the broadcast of an interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, left the royal functions last year and moved to California, citing what they said were the unbearable racist intrusions and attitudes of the British media.
Relations between the couple and the palace seem to have been increasingly strained. On Wednesday, the palace said it would begin an investigation into human resources after a newspaper reported that a former aide had accused Meghan of harassing staff in 2018.
In a clip from Winfrey’s pre-recorded interview, published by CBS, Winfrey asks Meghan how she feels about the palace “hearing you tell your truth today?”.
“I don’t know how they could expect that after all this time we would still be silent if there was an active role that the firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us,” the duchess says.
“The Firm” is a nickname of the royal family, sometimes used with affection and sometimes with a note of criticism.