Prince Philip Has Been Admitted to Hospital, Following Reports of Illness

Having been forced to cancel several recent engagements, including missing the Easter Sunday service at St. George's Chapel with Queen Elizabeth II this past weekend, Prince Philip has been admitted to hospital (opens in new tab) today in London.

According to The Telegraph (opens in new tab), "The 96-year-old arrived at King Edward VII Hospital in London this afternoon ahead of an operation tomorrow." He's apparently due to have a planned procedure tomorrow.

A report from Buckingham Palace (via royal commentator, Victoria Arbiter (opens in new tab)) confirmed that "The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital ahead of planned hip surgery scheduled for tomorrow." It sounds as though the Queen's husband is undergoing treatment for his recurring hip problems, so that he can make a return to royal life soon.

Despite major concerns for Prince Philip's health, "he was spotted driving in Windsor Great Park on Wednesday," according to The Telegraph (opens in new tab).

Hello! (opens in new tab) previously reported that Prince Philip had been "expected to attend a ceremony at Windsor Castle... to formally hand over his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards to his son, Prince Andrew," but he canceled the appearance because of his health issues. At the time, it was revealed that Prince Philip had been feeling "unwell" (via Hello! (opens in new tab)) with further reports downplaying the illness, claiming that the royal was merely "under the weather".

Despite having already retired from his royal duties in May 2017, Prince Philip often still attends events with his wife and family, so his absence throughout the Easter celebrations was felt.

Sky News reports (opens in new tab) that, according to Buckingham Palace, "Further updates will be issued when appropriate."