London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Prince Philip 'asked Charles to visit hospital to plan Royal Family's future'

Prince Philip 'asked Charles to visit hospital to plan Royal Family's future'

Prince Philip is likely to have asked Prince Charles to visit him in hospital to discuss the future of the Royal Family, according to an ex-palace official.

Charles made a surprise 200-mile-round-trip to see his father last weekend during the Duke of Edinburgh’s prolonged stay in hospital as he suffers from an infection.

Former Buckingham Palace-insider Dickie Arbiter has speculated the visit would have been at Philip’s request.

Mr Arbiter, who worked for the Queen as a press officer between 1988 and 2000, told True Royalty TV’s weekly The Royal Beat programme the duke was likely to have been ‘planning for the future.’

He said: ‘I think it was at the request of the duke that the Prince of Wales visited.

‘To lay the ground. Look the man is 99, he is in with an infection. My guess is that he will come out, he will walk out and he will go back to Windsor.

‘But eventually he is going to die and he was just saying to Charles, “one day you are going to be the leading man of the family”.’

Charles’ visit came in the midst of another royal crisis as the Queen stripped Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of their Royal patronages following the couple’s decision to leave their roles as senior royals and move to the US.

Police officers have been guarding the entrance to the King Edward VII hospital for the duration of the Duke of Edinburgh’s stay

Charles was pictured looking teary-eyed as he left the hospital last week

Prince Philip’s 12 day stay is the longest amount of time he has spent in hospital ever


The heir to the throne was pictured leaving the site looking teary-eyed after a visit that only lasted around half an hour last Saturday. He drove straight back to his home at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire.

There had been speculation that Philip asked Charles to visit to brief him on the situation.

No other royals have visited the Duke in the London hospital during his 12-day-stay, although Prince Edward has spoken to him over the phone.

Some criticised the actions of Charles who visited during the pandemic when many have not been able to see their relatives. The hospital had stressed visits would only allowed in exceptional circumstances.

Yesterday palace sources confirmed the 99-year-old would spend another weekend in hospital, the longest stint the duke has spent in hospital ever.

Buckingham Palace has not provided an update on his condition since Tuesday when it was said he was ‘comfortable’ and ‘responding well to treatment.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×