London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Mar 04, 2026

Duke of Edinburgh: Prince Charles visits his father in hospital

Duke of Edinburgh: Prince Charles visits his father in hospital

The Prince of Wales has visited the central London hospital where his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, remains after feeling unwell.

Prince Philip was admitted to the King Edward VII's hospital as a precaution on Tuesday.

A Buckingham Palace source told the BBC the duke is likely to remain in hospital into next week.

The exact reason for his admission has not been disclosed but his stay is not related to coronavirus.

A palace source previously said the duke, who is due to turn 100 in June, had walked into the hospital in Marylebone unaided.

Prince Charles, 72, spent about 30 minutes at the hospital on Saturday afternoon. He returned to his Highgrove residence after the visit, a Clarence House spokesman said.

Under England's current coronavirus lockdown rules, visiting someone in a hospital is considered a "reasonable excuse" to leave home, although many hospitals have put significant limits on visitors.

The King Edward VII's hospital website says visitors "will only be considered in exceptional circumstances" during the pandemic.

The duke is in hospital for observation and rest out of "an abundance of caution", a source said

Members of the Royal Family have continued with their official duties while Philip has been in hospital.

The Queen, 94, performed her first face-to-face event of the year on Thursday, when she knighted a royal aide during a private socially-distanced ceremony at Windsor.

Prince Charles visited the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with the Duchess of Cornwall on Thursday, where he told NHS staff the country owes them "an enormous debt of gratitude" for their efforts in the coronavirus pandemic.

The Duke of Cambridge has also carried out several virtual conversations with frontline NHS staff this week, while the Princess Royal held a virtual meeting in her role as patron of the Scottish Rugby Union.

Last month, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Philip and the Queen had received Covid vaccinations from a household doctor at Windsor Castle.

The couple have been spending the recent lockdown in England at Windsor with a small household staff, nicknamed HMS Bubble.

They celebrated Christmas quietly there, instead of the traditional family gathering at the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

Police officers are guarding the entrance to the King Edward VII hospital during Philip's stay
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall thanked key workers at a hospital in Birmingham earlier this week for their efforts during the pandemic
In December 2019, the duke was admitted to King Edward VII hospital as a "precautionary measure" for treatment for a "pre-existing condition".

He was discharged on Christmas Eve that year, after four nights and driven to Sandringham, where he spent Christmas with the Queen.

The duke has received treatment for various other health conditions over the years including a blocked coronary artery in 2011, a bladder infection in 2012 and exploratory surgery on his abdomen in June 2013.

The Queen and Prince Philip released a photograph for their 73rd wedding anniversary last November
Prince Philip's most-recent official engagement saw him hand over his role of colonel-in-chief of The Rifles in a ceremony at Windsor to the Duchess of Cornwall, who received the role in a separate ceremony at Highgrove.

Last November, the Queen and Prince Philip marked their 73rd wedding anniversary by releasing a photograph of themselves opening a card made for them by their great-grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.



Prince Charles arrived at the hospital on Saturday afternoon


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
Trump Repeats UK Claims That Diverge from Verified Facts Amid Diplomatic Strain
UK Arrests Prominent Figures Linked to Epstein Network as Questions Mount Over US Action
Trump Says UK ‘Took Far Too Long’ to Approve Use of Airbases for Iran Strikes
Scope of Britain’s Role in the Expanding Middle East Conflict Comes Under Scrutiny
Trump Says He Is ‘Very Disappointed’ in Starmer Over Iran Comments
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Starmer Confronts Strategic Test After Drone Strike Near British Base in Cyprus
Rolls-Royce Chief Signals Openness to Germany Joining UK-Led Fighter Jet Programme
UK Stocks Slip as Escalating Iran Conflict Triggers Global Market Selloff
UK Overhauls Asylum System to Make Refugee Status Temporary
Starmer Warns of ‘Reckless’ Iranian Strikes Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
British Base in Cyprus Targeted as Drones Intercepted Amid Expanding Iran Conflict
Starmer Diverges from Trump on Iran Strategy, Rejects ‘Regime Change from the Skies’
U.S. and Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran as Conflict Expands to Lebanon and Gulf States
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
When the State Replaces the Parent: How Gender Policy Is Redefining Custody and Coercion
Bill Clinton Denies Knowing Woman in Hot Tub Photo During Closed-Door Epstein Deposition
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton Testifies on Ties to Jeffrey Epstein Before Congressional Oversight Committee
Dyson Reaches Settlement in Landmark UK Forced Labour Case
Barclays and Jefferies Shares Fall After UK Mortgage Lender Collapse Rekindles Credit Market Concerns
Play Exploring Donald Trump’s Rise to Power by ‘Lehman Trilogy’ Author to Premiere in the UK
Man Arrested After Churchill Statue Defaced in Central London
Keir Starmer Faces Political Setback as Labour Finishes Third in High-Profile By-Election
UK Assisted Dying Bill Set to Fall Short in Parliament as Regional Initiatives Gain Ground
UK Defence Ministry Clarifies Position After Reports of Imminent Helicopter Contract
Independent Left-Wing Plumber Secures Shock Victory as Greens Surge in UK By-Election
Reform UK Refers Alleged ‘Family Voting’ Incidents in By-Election to Police
United Kingdom Temporarily Withdraws Embassy Staff from Iran Amid Heightened Regional Tensions
UK Government Reaches Framework Agreement on Release of Mandelson Vetting Files
UK Police Contracts With Israeli Surveillance Firms Spark Debate Over Ethics and Oversight
United Airlines Passenger Hears Cockpit Conversations After Accessing In-Flight Audio Channel
Spain to Conduct Border Checks on Gibraltar Arrivals Under New Post-Brexit Framework
Engie Shares Jump After $14 Billion Agreement to Acquire UK Power Grid Assets
BNP Paribas Overtakes Goldman Sachs in UK Investment Banking League Tables
Geothermal Project to Power Ten Thousand Homes Marks UK Renewable Energy Milestone
UK Visa Grants Drop Nineteen Percent in 2025 as Migration Controls Tighten
Barclays and Jefferies Among Banks Exposed to Collapse of UK Mortgage Lender MFS
UK Asylum Applications Edge Down in 2025 Despite Rise in Small Boat Crossings
Jefferies Reports Significant Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender MFS
×