Prince Charles says Philip is ‘being looked after very well’ as Duke of Edinburgh, 98, spends fourth day in hospital with no confirmation that he will be home in time for Christmas

• Prince Philip, 98, was flown to the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, central London on Friday morning 
• The Prince of Wales visiting flood-hit Fishlake in South Yorkshire today, gave an update on his father’s health 
• He said Duke of Edinburgh is being looked after ‘very well’ in hospital but didn’t say when he’d be discharged

Prince Charles says his father Prince Philip is being looked after ‘very well’ on his fourth day in hospital, but he did not reveal whether he would be home in time for Christmas. 

The Duke of Edinburgh, 98, has been in hospital since Friday morning and was admitted after a period of poor health, battling a ‘flu-like’ illness for weeks and suffering a ‘bad fall’.

He was flown from the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk to the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, London amid growing concern for his health.

Speaking about his father to reporters as he visited the flood-hit village of Fishlake this afternoon, Prince Charles said: ‘He’s being looked after very well in hospital.

‘At the moment that’s all we know.’

Police officers were pictured outside the hospital where the Duke of Edinburgh is being cared for this afternoon. 

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh sits on a carriage during the Royal Windsor Horse Show, in Windsor in May. Buckingham Palace has insisted the Duke’s hospital visit is for a pre-existing condition and is precautionary

Speaking about Prince Philip to reporters as he visited the flood-hit village of Fishlake this afternoon, Prince Charles said: ‘He’s being looked after very well in hospital’

Sky London, 59, from Marylebone, was outside the hospital on Monday and said: ‘I’m worried about Prince Philip because of his age. He’s knocking on now.

Royal biographer Ingrid Seward says ‘tough as an ox’ Philip and the Queen are ‘used to spending large amounts of time apart’ 

Royal expert Ingrid described the Duke as ‘tough as an ox’ in the aftermath of yesterday’s helicopter dash.

She told the Mirror: ‘Philip has always been renowned for being as tough as an ox and ­incredibly active throughout his life.

‘It is no surprise the Queen has carried on with her Sandringham plans while he is in hospital.

‘Since the early days of their marriage when he was still serving in the Royal Navy they were used to spending large amounts of time apart and have always managed to be very independent of each other while remaining incredibly supporting of one another.’

‘Of course everybody’s worried about him.’ 

Buckingham Palace has stressed that he was not an emergency case and was being treated for a ‘pre-existing condition’.  

A Buckingham Palace statement on Friday said: ‘The Duke of Edinburgh travelled from Norfolk this morning to the King Edward VII Hospital in London for observation and treatment in relation to a pre-existing condition.

‘The admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’s doctor.’

Philip ‘doesn’t want any fuss’ in the wake of his hospital treatment and has told his family to ‘carry on as usual’ with their festive celebrations. 

It comes after a subdued Saturday at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where the Queen is thought to have postponed her normal routine of visiting the Royal stud on the first day of her festive break.

The Queen normally tours the stud on the 20,000-acre estate soon after arriving from London to see her horses and the staff who care for them. 

While staff appeared to be preparing for a Royal arrival yesterday morning, the Queen seemingly did not visit.

In another apparent break from routine, there was no Saturday pheasant shoot, despite it being the height of the shooting season. 

In recent years, Philip has watched shoots at Sandringham from the warmth of a Land Rover.

Police officers outside King Edward VII Hospital in London today, where the Duke of Edinburgh is being treated, having arrived at the hospital on Friday

The palace has repeatedly insisted that Philip’s condition is not considered serious or an emergency. 

It has also been said that no senior members of the Royal Family intend to visit the 98-year-old and ‘will not be changing long-held plans’. 

98-year-old Prince Philip’s recent health scares and hospital admissions

Prince Philip has boasted excellent health for a 98-year-old and has repeatedly insisted he has not had the flu for more than 40 years.

Not to be cowed by his ill health in recent years, he still enjoys an active life and continues with his carriage driving, which he took up in 1971 after retiring from polo.

In 1961, the Duke broke a bone in his left ankle in a collision on the polo field.

Polo also left him suffering from arthritis in his right wrist, a condition made worse by shaking many thousands of hands at official function.

But in recent years he has struggled a little more with illness. These are the recent, most high-profile cases.

December 2011: The prince is airlifted to hospital from Sandringham two days before Christmas after suffering chest pains, and undergoes surgery for a blocked coronary artery.

June 2012: Philip is taken to hospital after developing a urinary infection during the river pageant to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

June 2013: Philip has abdominal surgery for an undisclosed condition and spends 11 days in hospital, including his 92nd birthday.

December 2016: Both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh suddenly cancel plans to leave London for their festive break in Norfolk after they both come down with heavy colds. 

June 2017: Philip admitted to hospital as ‘a precautionary measure’ for an infection arising from a pre-existing condition, the Palace said

April 2018: The Duke of Edinburgh spends 11 days in hospital following his successful hip replacement

December 20, 2019: Philip, 98, left Sandringham to attend the King Edward VII Hospital in London.

Royal sources said that he was expected to remain in hospital for a few days, raising the prospect that he could be discharged in time to join the Queen and other senior Royals at Sandringham on Christmas Eve.

The Royal Family traditionally lay out their presents on trestle tables on December 24 and exchange their gifts at tea time.

On Christmas Day, they attend morning service at the nearby St Mary Magdalene Church.

The duke, who will celebrate his 99th birthday next June, has enjoyed largely excellent health for most of his life, appearing to recover well from a planned hip replacement in April last year.

He even escaped with minor injuries after a car crash near Sandringham in January, which led him to voluntarily give up his licence, but was said to have been left deeply shaken by the incident.

But over the past decade he has been admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery, bladder infections and a blocked coronary artery, which also saw him flown to hospital by helicopter.

The duke has rarely been seen since his retirement from public duties, apart from at the odd family engagement.

He was last spotted over the summer, enjoying the Royal Family’s annual sojourn at Balmoral.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales arrived in Fishlake, South Yorkshire, to see the impact of the severe flooding that hit the village last month.

Charles, 71, met firefighters, police and soldiers on the outskirts before walking into the village, which was hit by ‘biblical’ levels of rain.

He will then tour Fishlake, visiting homes and local businesses, including The Old Butcher’s Café and Hare and Hounds pub that have suffered because of the floods. 

Charles will also meet volunteers and witness the relief efforts in St Cuthbert’s Church which has been converted into a temporary goods store and support centre. 

Finally, he will attend a reception in the Town Hall with people from Fishlake, Bentley and Stainforth that have been involved in the recovery and rescue work.

More than 1,000 homes and 200 businesses were affected by the horrifying flooding last month, with many of the properties utterly devastated. 

The rebuilding process is expected to last well until next year with residents unable to get home in time for Christmas. 

Entire ground floors of properties have been destroyed, with homeowners still desperately trying to dry out walls and plasterboard.

Many of the flood-affected villagers have ’emptied their lives’ into skips and piles of rubbish lay strewn in people’s gardens.

Charles, 71, met firefighters, police and soldiers on the outskirts before walking into the village of Fishlake, near Doncaster. He also provided an update on the health of Prince Philip

The village of Fishlake, Doncaster, submerged under flood water in November after heavy rains devastated the village

Entire ground floors of properties have been destroyed, with homeowners still desperately trying to dry out walls and plasterboard

Josh Knaggs works on his uncle’s home in Fishlake, where he is having to strip off sodden plaster down to the mortar so it can be replaced 

The inside of the house, showing where Mr Knaggs has stripped off the plaster. Lots more work remains to return the house to its previous condition

Allen Buck, a resident of Fishlake, South Yorkshire, continues the clean up after his bungalow flooded in November

Volunteer Ruth Pridham with products donated to St Cuthbert’s Church in Fishlake, South Yorkshire, to help victims of the November flooding

Skips filled with rubble from water damaged homes in Fishlake, South Yorkshire, after the area flooded in November

Fields that were submerged when the River Don burst its banks have been left damaged and previously lush green grass left covered with large patches of mud. 

Dramatic drone photographs from the time show the devastation in the village, near Doncaster, as roads and fields were turned into rivers.

Clarence House confirmed that Charles had made donations to flood relief funds in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

The donations, made through the Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation, have been made to Foundation Derbyshire’s flood relief fund and another to the South Yorkshire Community Foundation.

They have been matched by the Duke of Westminster.

Duke of Edinburgh’s appearances and health since retirement

The Duke of Edinburgh has travelled to King Edward VII Hospital in London for observation and treatment in relation to a pre-existing condition, Buckingham Palace confirmed today. Here is a timeline of Philip’s appearances and health since his retirement from public life in August 2017:

• May 4 2017 – Buckingham Palace announces the duke is to retire. Tributes are paid to his years of royal duty.
• May 10 and May 17 – Days later, Philip, then 95, is out and about carriage-driving at Windsor and at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
• June 10 – The duke celebrates his 96th birthday.
• June 13 – The Queen and Philip visit Slough railway station in Berkshire to mark the 175th anniversary of the first rail journey by a monarch.
• June 17 – The duke helps the Queen mark her official 91st birthday at the annual Trooping the Colour parade.
• June 20 – Philip spends the day at Royal Ascot, where temperatures are so sweltering that the dress code in the Royal Enclosure is relaxed for the first time. But that evening, he is admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London as a precautionary measure, for treatment for an infection arising from a pre-existing condition.
• June 21 – The duke misses the State Opening of Parliament. The Prince of Wales steps in to accompany the Queen.
• June 22 – Philip is discharged from hospital after a two-night stay.
• June 25 – In his first public outing since being in hospital, the duke drives himself to the Royal Windsor Cup Final at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor Great Park.
• August 2 – On his final official engagement as he retires from public duties, Philip strides with ease around the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in the pouring rain, meeting Royal Marines.
• November 11 -The duke makes an appearance at the Royal Albert Hall for the Festival of Remembrance.
• November 12 – Philip joins the Queen as she watches from a balcony for the first time rather than laying a wreath at the Remembrance Sunday ceremony. Concerns are expressed for his health when he appears to lean against a pillar for support while standing during the Whitehall service.
• November 20 – A week later, the duke is carriage driving at Windsor on the day of his platinum wedding anniversary, and he and the Queen celebrate in the evening with a party for more than 100 family and friends.
• December 21 – The Queen and the duke travel by train from London to Norfolk for the start of their traditional Christmas break at Sandringham.
• December 25 – The duke joins the royals at church, as Prince Harry’s bride-to-be, Meghan Markle, spends her first Christmas with the Windsors. Philip attends Sunday church throughout his stay in Sandringham in January and early February.
• March 22 2018 – Philip reportedly pulls out of a rare engagement with the Queen and Duke of York, marking Andrew’s new role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, because he is under the weather.
• March 29 – He misses the Maundy Thursday service with the Queen because of a problem with his hip.
• April 1 – The duke is not present at church in Windsor on Easter Sunday.
• April 3 – Philip is admitted to the King Edward VII’s Hospital ahead of a planned operation on his hip.
• April 4 – The palace says the duke has had a successful hip replacement operation, and is progressing well, but will remain in hospital for several days. ‘He is comfortable and in good spirits,’ says a spokesman.
• April 13 – Philip leaves hospital, waving to the media as he is driven away to Windsor Castle to recuperate.
• May 11 – The duke makes his first public appearance since convalescing after his surgery when he is seen at the wheel of his Land Rover Freelander, chatting to the Queen, at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
• May 19 – Philip walks unaided as he attends the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in Windsor.
• June 10 – Philip turns 97.
• October 11 – Buckingham Palace tweets a photo of the duke meeting the head of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at Windsor Castle.
• October 12 – Philip attends the wedding of his granddaughter Princess Eugenie.
• November 14 – Philip joins the Queen at a glittering private black-tie party held for the Prince of Wales on his 70th birthday at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen pays tribute to their eldest son on behalf of them both.
• December 19 – The duke is seen being driven to Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s annual Christmas lunch.
• December 25 – Philip misses the royals’ traditional Christmas Day outing to church but is said to be in good health.
• January 17 2019 – The duke is involved in a car crash when the Land Rover Freelander he is driving flips over after being in collision with another vehicle near the Sandringham estate.
• January 18 – The duke undergoes a medical following the incident.
• January 19 – Photographs of the duke emerge driving a Land Rover at Sandringham just two days after the crash, in the pictures he was not wearing a seatbelt.
• January 24 – ITV News unearth archive interview footage of a man, known only as Mr Coopy, with whom the duke was involved in a collision in 1964 in the village of Holyport in Berkshire.
• January 27 – The duke writes to Emma Fairweather wishing her a ‘speedy recovery from a very distressing experience’ following the crash on January 17.
• February 9 – Buckingham Palace announces the duke has voluntarily surrendered his driving licence ‘after careful consideration’.
• May 7 – Prince Philip makes his first public appearance since the car crash when attending the Order of Merit lunch alongside the Queen at Windsor Castle. 
• May 18 – Little more than a week later the duke attends the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle alongside other royals including the Queen. 
• June  21 – The Duke is photographed alongside General Sir Nicholas Carter and General Patrick Sanders on June 21 as part of his role as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles
• December 20 – The duke travels from Norfolk to the King Edward VII Hospital in London for observation and treatment in relation to a pre-existing condition. 

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