Britain’s Prince Philip, hospitalized for weeks, has heart procedure
LONDON — Britain’s Prince Philip has had a successful heart procedure at a London hospital and is expected to remain for several days of “rest and recuperation,” Buckingham Palace said Thursday.
The palace said the 99-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, “underwent a successful procedure for a preexisting heart condition at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.”
“His royal highness will remain in hospital for treatment, rest and recuperation for a number of days,” the palace said in a statement.
Philip has been hospitalized since Feb. 16, when he was admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London for treatment of an infection. He was transferred Monday to a specialized cardiac-care hospital, St. Bartholomew’s.
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, said Wednesday that her father-in-law’s condition was “slightly improving.”
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed,” said Camilla, who is married to Prince Charles, Philip and Elizabeth’s eldest and the heir apparent.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry denied ‘this latest attack on her character’ in a statement ahead of their Oprah Winfrey interview airing Sunday.
Philip’s illness is not believed to be related to the coronavirus. Both Philip and the monarch received COVID-19 vaccinations in January and chose to publicize the matter to encourage others to follow suit.
He has had heart issues in the past. In 2011, he was rushed to a hospital by helicopter after suffering chest pains and was treated for a blocked coronary artery.
Philip retired from royal duties in 2017 and rarely appears in public. Before his hospitalization, he had been isolating at Windsor Castle, west of London, with the queen.
The longest-serving royal consort in British history, Philip married then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Britain’s Prince Harry says the process of separating from royal life has been very difficult for him and his wife, the former actress Meghan Markle.
His illness comes as the royal family braces for the broadcast of an interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey with Prince Harry and his wife, the former actress Meghan Markle.
The couple quit their royal duties last year and moved to Southern California, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.
Relations between the couple and the palace appear to have become increasingly strained. On Wednesday, the palace said it was launching a human-resources investigation after a newspaper reported that a former aide had accused Meghan of bullying staff in 2018.
In a clip from the pre-recorded Winfrey interview, released by CBS, Winfrey asks the Duchess of Sussex how she feels about the palace “hearing you speak your truth today?”
“I don’t know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there was an active role that ‘the Firm’ is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us,” she says.
“The Firm” is a nickname for the royal family, sometimes used with affection and sometimes with a note of criticism.
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