Prince Philip, 99, spends 11th day in hospital receiving treatment for infection

The Duke of Edinburgh will spend the weekend in hospital for an infection in what will become tomorrow his longest ever stay for treatment.

Buckingham Palace’s last update on Prince Philip, 99, was on Tuesday and said he was ‘comfortable’ and ‘responding’ to medical help.

His son Prince Edward has also said this week Philip was ‘a lot better’ but ‘looking forward to getting out’ with the Royal Family were keeping their ‘fingers crossed’. 

The Earl of Wessex thanked well-wishers for their messages of support as it was announced on Tuesday that Philip would spend ‘several days’ more in hospital. 

He was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London last Tuesday evening as a precautionary measure after feeling unwell, and walked into the building unaided.

A royal source said today it did not expect to make any updates on the Duke until at least next week. 

This is the longest amount of time he has spent in hospital since June 2013 when he had an exploratory operation on his abdomen. 

Philip’s 11th day in hospital came as his grandson Prince Harry was interviewed by James Corden on the Late Late Show in America. 

The Duke of Edinburgh, pictured in July 2017, is remaining in hospital because of an infection

Police officers patrol outside King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, London, this morning

Police officers patrol outside King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, London, this morning

Prince Philip in 2013 after leaving hospital after 11 days following an abdomen operation

Prince Philip in 2013 after leaving hospital after 11 days following an abdomen operation

Police officers stand outside the hospital this morning where Prince Philip is being treated

Police officers stand outside the hospital this morning where Prince Philip is being treated

He tells him of his choice to step away from work as a full-time Royal: ‘It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down.’

At the time of Philip’s admission to hospital, the palace did not disclose the reason, but then said this Tuesday he was being treated for an infection.

Edward, who said he had spoken to his father on the phone, suggested the Duke, who is known for his ‘no fuss’ attitude, was a little frustrated at remaining in hospital. 

The palace said on Tuesday: ‘The Duke of Edinburgh remains at King Edward VII’s Hospital where he is receiving medical attention for an infection. He is comfortable and responding to treatment but is not expected to leave hospital for several days.’

Edward was asked about his father by Sky News’ royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills, while she was filming a separate interview with him his Bagshot Park home in Surrey.

He replied: ‘He’s a lot better, thank you very much indeed, and he’s looking forward to getting out, which is the most positive thing, so we keep our fingers crossed.’ 

Police officers stand at the entrance to King Edward VII Hospital in London this morning

Police officers walk past the entrance to King Edward VII Hospital where Philip was admitted

Police officers walk past the entrance to King Edward VII Hospital where Philip was admitted

Asked whether Philip, who turns 100 in June, was frustrated to be in hospital, Edward laughed and replied: ‘Just a bit.

‘I think that gets to all of us, and then you can only watch the clock so many times and the walls are only so interesting.

‘We’ve had some brilliant and lovely messages from all sorts of people and we really appreciate that and so does he, I’ve been passing them on. It’s fantastic, thank you.’

Philip was initially due to spend a few days under medical care for ‘observation and rest’, but last Friday it emerged he was likely to remain in hospital into this week. 

The Queen keeps Prince Philip close to her heart: Monarch wears dazzling diamond flower brooch from their 1947 engagement as her husband spends his 11th day in hospital

BY STEPHANIE LINNING

The Queen kept Prince Philip close to her heart on Thursday as she donned the same six-petal diamond flower brooch she wore when the couple announced their engagement in 1947. 

The monarch wore the glittering accessory on a video call with health leaders from Windsor Castle in which she made a historic intervention in the coronavirus vaccination drive, suggesting it is selfish not to have the jab.

The Queen, 94, looked resplendent in a coral ensemble and wore the Diamond Clematis Brooch proudly displayed on her chest. 

The Queen kept Prince Philip close to her heart on Thursday as she donned the same six-petal diamond flower brooch she had worn when the couple announced their engagement in 1947

The Queen kept Prince Philip close to her heart on Thursday as she donned the same six-petal diamond flower brooch she had worn when the couple announced their engagement in 1947

The brooch was gifted to the then Princess Elizabeth on her 21st birthday and she wore it just weeks later when she and her new fiancé announced their engagement to the world

The brooch was gifted to the then Princess Elizabeth on her 21st birthday and she wore it just weeks later when she and her new fiancé announced their engagement to the world

The Queen has worn the brooch, pictured, on a number of occasions over the years

The Queen has worn the brooch, pictured, on a number of occasions over the years

The brooch was gifted to the then Princess Elizabeth on her 21st birthday and she wore it just weeks later when she and her new fiancé announced their engagement to the world.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, is spending his twelfth day as a patient at King Edward VII Hospital in London. His condition is described as ‘comfortable and responding to treatment’.

The Queen has worn the brooch on a number of occasions over the years, including to the Epsom races in 2013 where Prince Philip was seen admiring the piece of jewellery. One of its most recent outings was to Ascot in 2019.   

The Queen is known to be very deliberate in her choice of jewellery and accessories, making it likely that she wanted to send a message of support with this particular brooch. 

In the video call with NHS officials in charge of the rollout, the Queen encouraged those with doubts to ‘think about other people rather than themselves’.

The Queen wore the brooch to the Epsom races in 2013. Pictured with Prince Philip

The Queen wore the brooch to the Epsom races in 2013. Pictured with Prince Philip

The Queen also wore the brooch to the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh in 2014

The Queen also wore the brooch to the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh in 2014

The 94-year-old monarch said her jab last month ‘didn’t hurt at all’ and had made her ‘feel protected’. Likening Covid to a plague, she said it was remarkable how quickly the inoculation programme had been put into action, helping ‘so many people’.

A senior royal source said: ‘It is a passionately held belief that people need to get out there [and get vaccinated] – this is important.’

It is highly unusual for the sovereign to take such a firm public stand on contentious issues and her remarks will be seen as a victory for efforts to increase take-up. 

An NHS vaccine chief said it was an ‘incredibly important vote of confidence’ in the programme.

More than 18million Britons – one in three adults – have had at least one jab. Another 448,962 were given first doses on Wednesday. 

One of the most recent outings was to Ascot in October 2019

One of the most recent outings was to Ascot in October 2019

But officials are concerned that ‘vaccine hesitancy’ could still undermine the rollout and even slow down the easing of lockdown restrictions.

They estimate that around 15 per cent of the population will not take up the offer of a jab, with scepticism highest among the young and minority ethnic groups.

The NHS has been working with community leaders and church groups to try to alleviate some of these fears with seminars and Q&A sessions.

The Queen was speaking during a WebEx video call with the four ‘senior responsible officers’ leading the deployment of Covid-19 vaccination across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.