Prince Philip has been admitted to a London hospital as a “precautionary measure” in relation to a pre-existing condition, according to Buckingham Palace and as reported by The Telegraph. The 98-year-old royal was taken from Norfolk to the King Edward VII Hospital on the morning of Friday, Dec. 20 “on the advice of His Royal Highness’ Doctor.”
“The Duke of Edinburgh travelled from Norfolk this morning to the King Edward VII Hospital in London for observation and treatment in relation to a pre-existing condition,” the full statement reads. “The admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’ Doctor.”
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His current condition is unknown nor is it clear how long he is anticipated to remain in the hospital.
The Duke of Edinburgh retired from public life in August 2017, though he has appeared alongside his wife, Queen Elizabeth, as well as other members of the British Royal Family at events and church services.
He was notably missing, however, as the Queen traveled to Sandringham Friday morning for her annual Christmas festivities, according to the Daily Mail. As the Queen traveled by train, Philip was reportedly on his way to the hospital, though it was noted that he was not taken by ambulance.
Concern over Philip’s health has been mounting in recent months. The royal has not been seen out in public since May, when he attended Lady Gabriella Windsor’s royal wedding. In the past, he has also suffered from bouts of illness and injury, which is believed to have been one of the reasons for his decision to retire.
In 2018, the royal was absent from the family’s Easter services, which were attended by Queen Elizabeth, Prince William, and Kate Middleton at Windsor Castle, and he had unexpectedly. He had unexpectedly canceled his appearance at the traditional service, held at St. George’s Chapel, and it was later revealed that he had undergone hip replacement surgery.
“The Duke of Edinburgh has undergone a successful hip replacement operation,” the palace said in a statement at the time. “He is progressing satisfactorily at this early stage. His Royal Highness is likely to remain in hospital for several days. He is comfortable and in good spirits.”
Not long after, the prince had suffered two black eyes and cracked ribs after he slipped while in the bathtub. He toughed the injuries out in order to attend Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s wedding that same month.
More recently, in January of this year, he was involved in a car accident near the Sandringham Estate, though he was not injured in the collision.
