Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at the Royal Ascot on June 20. (Getty)
Prince Philip has been admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in London after coming down with an infection. According to the Associated Press, the Duke of Edinburgh came down with an infection and was hospitalized “as a precaution.” The infection was caused by a “preexisting condition” and does not sound extremely serious. The palace said that Prince Philip, 96, is “in good spirits” and that he is already up and out of bed.
“Prince Philip is in good spirits and is disappointed to be missing the State Opening of Parliament and Royal Ascot,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
The Duke of Edinburgh attended the Royal Ascot on Tuesday with his wife, Queen Elizabeth II. This morning, the made her speech in Parliament and she plans to attend the Royal Ascot festivities this afternoon. She will be kept abreast of any and all developments relating to her husband’s condition.
Back in December, the palace announced that the Queen had canceled her annual train trip because she and Prince Philip had come down with “heavy colds.” The two were scheduled to go to Sandringham on a Friday, but were forced to rest until the following week. Prior to that illness, which is believed to have been the flu, Prince Philip hadn’t come down with the flu in over 40 years.
Last month, the Queen called an emergency meeting at the palace. Rumors started circulating that Prince Philip had passed away. However, the next day, the palace announced that the Duke would be stepping down from his royal duties beginning in August. It is believed that his advanced age was the ultimate factor in this decision.
“Prince Philip will attend previously scheduled engagements between now and August, both individually and accompanying The Queen. Thereafter, The Duke will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagements, although he may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time,” the palace said in a statement at the time.