The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, returned to his family at Sandringham Palace just in time for Christmas festivities. The 98-year-old Duke was admitted to the King Edward VII hospital as a precautionary measure for a pre-existing condition on Friday (December 20, 2019).
Discharged at 8.49 am from the hospital located in central London, the Duke was seen being driven away to Buckingham Palace from where he was later flown in a helicopter to Sandringham Palace. He was dressed in a suit and tie.
On Friday, when the Duke was flown to the hospital after a health scare, the queen had boarded the train for the annual Christmas getaway. Upon his discharge, Prince Philip was seen waving at a nurse before getting into the passenger seat of the car waiting for him in a lonely street near the hospital.
A lot of policemen along with royal protection officers were guarding the hospital area.
Why was Prince Philip admitted to the hospital?
Following a bad fall, the Duke had remained bed-ridden for almost a month. A royal source had revealed to The Sun: "The Duke had a bad fall and was confined to bed for a couple of days. He didn't break anything, but it gave everyone a scare. He suffers from gout which makes him more irritable and he lost his appetite. Those around him were worried as he'd stopped eating and didn't want to go out. But he's a 98-year-old man and this is all very common at this age."
On Friday, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying: "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."
Grand welcome at Sandringham
Prince Philip was given a rousing welcome by well-wishers and visitors who were awaiting his arrival at Sandringham Palace. Later, Prince Charles and Camilla also met the Duke at the Norfolk estate. Even though the Duke looked weary from his stay at the hospital, the excitement to unite with his Queen and family was quite evident on his face.
A statement issued by the Buckingham Palace said: "His Royal Highness would like to thank everyone who sent their good wishes."
