Prince Philip, the husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, has been admitted to a London hospital, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Wednesday.
The Duke of Edinburgh was taken to the King Edward VII Hospital on Tuesday evening, as a “precautionary measure” on the advice of his doctor “after feeling unwell,” the statement said.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics
Philip, 99, is expected to remain in hospital for a few days of observation and rest, the statement added.
Along with the Queen, Philip received his Covid-19 vaccine last month.The royal couple have been staying at Windsor Castle, a palace around 30 miles west of London, during the pandemic which has pummelled the U.K.
The country has the worst outbreak in Europe with more than 4 million cases and 118,000 deaths recorded, according to health officials.
Philip, who retired from public duties in 2017, is the longest-serving royal consort in British history.
He married the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and together they have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
A former naval officer and keen polo player, Philip enjoyed robust health well into old age, but he has had a number of health issues in recent years.
He was last hospitalized in December 2019, when he spent four nights in hospital for what the palace said was planned treatment of a pre-existing condition, although it did not reveal what that condition was.
Philip was also forced to give up driving at the age of 97, after car accident in January 2019, which left the passengers of another vehicle with minor injuries, although he escaped unscathed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
