Royal family: Prince Harry is self-isolating in case he needs to travel for Prince Philip’s hospitalisation
Prince Harry is self-isolating in the event that he has to rush back to the UK, as the 99-year-old Prince Philip is due to spend his third night in hospital.
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Prince Harry is reportedly self-isolating at home in California in the event that his grandfather Prince Philip’s condition deteriorates and he is required to return urgently to the UK.
Harry, 36, is reportedly self-isolating at home with pregnant Meghan Markle, 39, and their son Archie in case he needs to rush back to Britain.
The Mirror cited a source saying, “Harry is of course concerned for his grandfather’s welfare and is being kept regularly informed on his condition.”
Prince Harry would be tested for coronavirus before leaving the US and upon arriving in the UK.
Although he is a resident of the United States, which the UK may be adding to its list of countries requiring compulsory quarantine, as a member of the royal family Harry would be exempt from the rule.
The source claimed that Harry had made arrangements to fly by private jet, if necessary.
CHARLES SEEN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE PHILIP’S HOSPITALISATION
Prince Charles has made an appearance for the first time since his father, Prince Philip, was hospitalised in London on Tuesday night (local time).
The Prince of Wales appeared in a video speech where he urged minority groups to ignore “fake news” and get vaccinated for the coronavirus.
It comes as Prince Philip spent a second night in a London hospital, with sources saying it was not due to coronavirus symptoms.
Prince Charles and Camilla - who have both had their first COVID-19 vaccination - spoke of his concern about the “variable uptake” among black and Asian Britons.
He made the comments in keynote address at a British Asian Trust’s (BAT) webinar: “COVID-19 Vaccine - Facts for the BAME Community”.
“Recently I fear we have reached a most sobering milestone in this seemingly interminable campaign as we marked the tragic loss of 100,000 souls.
“It is clear that the virus has affected all parts of the country, and all parts of society.
“But it is also clear that there are particular challenges faced in particular sections of our society, especially in some ethnic minority communities.
“What saddens me even further is to hear that those challenges are being made even worse by the variable uptake of the vaccines, which finally offers a way out of the suffering of the past year.”
Prince Philip was said to be “in good spirits” in the private King Edward VII Hospital in London, where the Palace said he was taken after feeling unwell.
He is expected to remain in hospital for several days.
The Queen and her husband have been isolating at Windsor Castle during the pandemic and have both received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
However, Buckingham Palace confirmed the illness early on Thursday, Australian time.
“His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh was admitted to the King Edward VII Hospital in London, on Tuesday evening,” the statement said.
“The Duke’s admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’s Doctor, after feeling unwell.
“The Duke is expected to remain in hospital for a few days of observation and rest.”
The Duke was previously hospitalised shortly before Christmas in December 2019, when he spent four nights at the same hospital.
No further detail of his illness has been provided.
The Duke was reportedly not taken in by ambulance and had felt well enough to walk into the hospital.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office said he had sent his “best wishes to the Duke of Edinburgh as he undergoes a few days of rest in hospital”.
The prince and the queen, 94, have been maintaining social distancing rules at Windsor Castle, because their age puts them at heightened risk from COVID-19.
The couple received their first vaccinations in January, the palace said in a rare public comment on the private health matters of the royal couple at the time.
Prince Philip retired from public duties in 2017 at the age of 96 following a two-night hospitalisation for an infection. He then had a hip operation in 2018.
In January 2019, he emerged unscathed after his vehicle was involved in a traffic accident that injured two people near the monarch’s Sandringham estate in eastern England.
Philip spent four nights at King Edward Hospital in December 2019, where he was treated for what was described as a “pre-existing condition” and was discharged on Christmas Eve that year.
During the pandemic he has made few public or private appearances. He attended the wedding ceremony of his granddaughter Princess Beatrice last July, shortly before celebrating his 73rd wedding anniversary.
The latest hospitalisation renewed concerns about Prince Philip’s health ahead of his 100th birthday in June this year.
Prince Philip, the longest-serving consort in British history, was born on the island of Corfu with Danish and Greek royal titles.
When he was 18 months old his uncle, King Constantine of Greece, was forced to abdicate and Prince Philip fled the country with his parents and four sisters, initially settling in France.
Prince Philip had been formally introduced to princess Elizabeth, the future queen, in July 1939 and they kept in touch during the war, meeting on a number of occasions. The pair married in Westminster Abbey in London in 1947.
The couple celebrated their platinum wedding in November 2017 at Windsor, with Prince Philip a constant presence at the side of the monarch, who has referred to him as her “strength and stay”.
He shelved his personal ambitions to support his wife, sharing her sense of duty and tradition and has put his considerable energy behind numerous charities including the World Wildlife Fund For Nature and the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
While the queen has reduced her public engagements in recent years, her son and heir, Prince Charles, has taken an increasingly leading role, alongside his eldest son Prince William and wife Kate.
The family have tried to galvanise British morale during the pandemic, which has caused more than 118,000 deaths in the country.
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