Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has spent the last year in and out of hospitals. I haven’t even kept up with all of his health problems, but I do remember that he had to cancel on some of his appearances last year during the Jubilee celebrations, and he also had to cancel some appearances last week (during the Queen’s coronation blessings, etc) because he had to go back to the hospital for some exploratory surgery. He’s had infections, he’s had illnesses, he’s had surgeries, and everything seems to be piling up. What’s interesting is that Philip was in the hospital for DAYS before his wife, Queen Elizabeth finally visited him. She only went to see him yesterday, and then it was only because it was HIS 92ND BIRTHDAY. LOL.
Queen Elizabeth paid a 35-minute visit to her husband Prince Philip in the hospital Monday evening to wish him happy 92nd birthday.
Dressed in a cream-colored outfit, the Queen, 87, arrived at a private hospital at just before 7 – four full days since he was first admitted.
Earlier in the day, Philip’s youngest son, Prince Edward, 49, had been to see him. Asked how his father was, Edward told reporters, “[He’s] well, thank you.”
Philip, who is said to be “comfortable and in good spirits,” underwent an exploratory operation on Friday and spent the weekend being cared for at the London Clinic.
In a statement regarding his progress, Buckingham Palace suggested that the prince is to spend two months convalescing from his hospital stay.
About half an hour before the Queen’s arrival, her personal physician Professor John Cunningham was seen entering the London Clinic, and she was kept informed about her husband’s progress while staying at Windsor Castle over the weekend.
Also on Monday, various gun salutes sounded around the U.K. in honor of the Philip’s birthday. A 41-gun salute took place in Green Park, near Buckingham Palace, while 62 guns went off at the Tower of London.
I mean, I understand it I guess. Elizabeth and Philip have been together for more than 60 years. What else do they have to say to each other? Plus, Philip doesn’t seem like he would really “shine” at being an ideal patient. I bet he was flirting with nurses and yelling at doctors like he was in charge of the place. Still, it’s funny to me that the Queen was all, “Let him hang out in the hospital alone for three days. See if I care. Maybe I’ll stop by and wish him a happy birthday at some point.” No one is saying that these older royals have to suddenly turn touchy-feely and hyper-emotional – and God knows, Philip was probably telling his family not to come too – but still, that’s her husband. You would think that she would have shown a little bit more concern, right?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Those British hospitals are killer germ infested breeding ground institutions of filthy habitation, with lax and hateful improperly trained workers and frequent misdiagnosed misery..K!?
I’ve heard that too, but I bet they scrubbed top to bottom for the Duke.
I know there been lots of report of ‘germ infested’ hospital but to be really honest not all hospital are like that and i have never encounter it. I really wish people would stop stop looking down at NHS hospital and think it a gross place to get treated for illness.
Also, he’s hardly in a general ward in a bog-standard NHS hospital – he’s in the London Clinic which is a private hospital on Harley St, and doubtless he’s in a private room!
People whinged when she didn’t visit Kate in hospital too…
Seriously, elderly people should spend no time in hospitals if they are not unwell as they are much more vulnerable to picking up illnesses. Especially elderly people who happen to be the Queen of a country!
Private hospital. Completely different situation – that hospital is fantastic and squeaky clean, I am sure.
Prince Philip probably has two doctors and five nurses assigned just to him!
Our public hospitals yes, you’re absolutely correct.
But the private hospital Prince Philip is in – no, not at all.
I had an appointment at a private hospital once. The staff bothered to learn my name and read my case notes! It was cleaner and nicer than my house and I only had to wait 5 minutes. I nearly moved in and refused to leave.
What does that say about the American health care system since the supposedly so bad and filthy British one regularly outranks the American one in international comparisons?
US hospitals, too. All hospitals are fighting an often losing battle these days. The best advice is to spend as little time as possible in them, you can get an infection that takes months to control or can kill you. My first thought on reading about his troubles was that the infections might be acquired in the hospital. It’s not because of carelessness necessarily, the problem is just overwhelming. But carelessness such as insufficiently frequent and thorough hand washing by staff will make it worse.
Yup. My dad died from an infection he picked up at the nursing home he was in. Hospitals are breeding grounds, but what do we expect? Sick weak people whose immunity systems are compromised are vulnerable to bugs.
My take on it, is that its probably like all other much older couples: they are both ill and tired, and weak. Neither of them want to be out and about any mroe than they truly have to, and she still has enough duties on her plate at the moment, so she took the chance to not go visit— especially since that in itself is yet anotehr “event” where the press follows etc.
Both of my grandparents arent nearly as old, but my grandma is senile and cant walk, my grandfather has had several strokes and is diabetic- they help each other as much as they can but they wont go visiting each other every day — they just cant take it.
I have never had any sort of criticism for their relationship ever since I saw this photo – http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m56y91pcpU1rtfy4ho1_500.jpg
I’m a sap, I can’t help it.
ah those are lovely!
My goodness. 60 years? Thank you for posting that, it made my eyes a little misty. *smile*
That’s sweet. Harry looks a bit like a younger Phillip. I never knew that before.
I agree! Always thought that Harry looked a lot like Prince Phillip.
Yeah, I think Elizabeth was gone on him for a long time. Not so sure about him. After all, his uncle? cousin? Mountbatten counseled him to marry her, just like he would do years later when he tried to get Charles to marry his granddaughter.
Awwwwww!
+1
Great pictures; is she actually wearing the same piece of jewelry on her lapel in both pictures?
@RobN Your attention to detail is impressive, I must have seen this set of photos like a million times in my tumblr dash but I’ve never thought about that. It could be, I mean, it’s definitely not an impossibility. It would be really cool if it.
You’ve got sharp eyes. It sure looks like it.
It looks like it might be the Prince Albert Sapphire Broach:
http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/sunday-brooch-prince-alberts-sapphire.html
I think they are posed in front of the same tree as well! Great photos.
Such a sweet picture. It’s a favorite of mine. They’re that cute old couple that still walks through the park together in my mind.
If you’re a sap then we’re all saps with you.
Lovely photos. Thanks for the link.
I’m a complete sap for happy marriages and while I can’t stand him, I have to admit they look like a very happy couple.
Everytime I see pictures of these two so young and good looking, I wonder where the genes went wrong because I don’t think any of their children are good looking. Even the grandkids, they are all okay looking. William and Harry are the best looking of this bunch. So I just always wonder.
I’m sure if there was real danger she’d be there right away. She’s not spritely herself and he’s a handful-maybe she needs the vacation- so why not.
That’s what I was thinking.
You know, I actually like seeing the old crotchety couples where the little old lady is walking way in front of her shuffling husband and she looks over her shoulder and/or turns around says something like “would you come on.” I like seeing the old romantic couples too but I like seeing the old feisty ladies.
By the way, she looks very good in that suit. She got dolled up for him. Aaaah.
I doubt we know the whole story. She may well have been to visit through the back door without all the media attention.
If you’ve been with someone for 60+ years. You might be enjoying a little piece of quiet.
She would have been kept up to date and no doubt ringing her husband. Unlike most elderly couples she is the Queen and has duties to perform something Prince Phillip understand he would be mortified if she stopped everything to come sit near his bedside. For the first day or two he would off had surgery then needed to recover so day 3 is a very sensible day to go. And yep no doubt that Phillip would have been an awful patient.
Can I ask what makes people so sure he would have been a bad patient?
Because hes a cranky even at the best of times. His grouch fests through the decades have been well documented.
I think he’s like uncle Alfie from “Death at a funeral”.. cranky, grounchy and a bit of an a. hole, actually. Especially when sick.
It’s actually royal protocol that the Queen not visit people (even her husband!) in the hospital. In fact, when he was in last summer with the bladder infection she did visit, and it was a huge deal-because she’d never done that for anyone, ever.
Loved ones are not, elderly people dont like visiting hospitals..to confronting.
That’s pretty shitty. It’s her husband FFS.
Ag
There are many circumstances in every relationship that makes them unique. Also, this is an older couple and there might be a general understanding that they don’t want the other to see them unwell.
Happymom above put it well. Because she didn’t rush to his bedside to hang out instead of keeping with her work routine (which is a coping mechanism for some) doesn’t mean she’s being cold to his situation.
I know, I know. That was just my first reaction when I imagined my husband in the hospital. 🙂
i love their love!
i also love her suit
87 years old? Very good looking. But then, she was a beautiful looking young woman.
I think the hospital confirmed that he wouldn’t be having any visitors for a few days after his operation, because of the after-effects of a general anaesthetic on a 90+ year old man, plus the potential infection risk.
Also, the Queen has a lot of commitments, that in most cases have been meticulously planned and organised, with a lot of people going to a lot of time and effort. Not only would she feel it was her duty to attend, but I’m quite sure Prince Philip would be the first person to encourage her to carry on with her schedule. It’s a combination of their generation/personalities/duties.
“Ah, at last, a little Peter O’Toole time for me!” sighed the Queen, applying some of her new Chanel lipstick in La Fascinante, a stunning choice with her sleek new Valentino day dress.
“No, NO HAT today, Lady Hussey!” she demurred, waving the startled woman away. “Tell James I’ll be driving myself in the Mini, and no dinner tonight. Oh, if Pips calls, tell him to take an aspirin and read the racing form or something, and I’ll be by tomorrow.”
I love it! And good on Her Majesty if it’s true. Back before Philip was a little ol’ man, he had quite the rep for a wandering eye. I think the Queen’s earned the right to whatever on the side she wants….
All right, I’m going to say it. They did “exploratory” abdominal surgery. If nothing was removed, he must have a mass of some kind that’s inoperable. Or does anyone know more than I do?
Yeah, exploratory sugery is rare, we have enough tests and scans that you can usually pinpoint the problem eventually. I’m an OR nurse and we’ve done this if there was a twisted bowel, or blockage that needs to be located. There’s probably more going on than exploratory…
“exploratory surgery”? sounds like cancer to me…
Daisydoodle
We won’t know anything and they’ll use vague and general statements that doesn’t give too much away. Exploratory surgery is a term that’s more common through medical shows. He’s getting such awesome medical care I bet they know for sure. I hope he’s ok. This is sad stuff.
Yes, I was thinking cancer, too. The exploratory procedure may have turned into a resection once they found something. Two months’ recovery sounds like they may have had to take out a significant-sized growth.
Also, at his age Prince Philip may not have fully come out of the anesthesia for a few days, so it wouldn’t make any sense to visit an unconscious person. Here’s hoping the surgery was a success and PP will get better quickly.
I agree with everyone. While I hope he’s OK, he’s 92 and you don’t do surgery on a 92 year old unless there’s a very good reason.
I was going to attach a link for the pics only, but the story is kind of interesting too.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-2001704/PHILIP-LAID-BARE-His-father-feckless-His-mother-went-mad-And-dated-woman-legs-eighth-wonder-world-YOUNG-PRINCE-PHILIP-BY-PHILIP-EADE.html
That was interesting. He was quite good looking back in the day!
The Queen always puts duty before her personal feelings. And she’s not one to display her emotions. Hasn’t ever been – she was brought up that way.
As well she should. She is the Queen of a country and that always comes first. She has always said she will never step down from her role as it is a sacred duty – she takes it very seriously.
If I remember correctly she has only cried in public once. When the Brittania was decommissioned.
More like 70 years if you count the dating (did they really call it that back then? idk)
I don’t think an 87 yr old woman should be anywhere near a hospital if she doesn’t have to be. Plus he may have been kept in recovery til the docs were sure he could handle visitors.
My mr was in the hospital for nearly a month and once he started recovering all he did was complain. About everything. Over and over. It was exhausting, 3 months later and I’m still tired. Honestly, if I was queen and had the luxury of avoiding some of that I would take advantage of it too. I’ve heard that Philip is a cranky bugger and being sick doesn’t usually sweeten their disposition.
And as someone who has been healthy his entire life, he’s probably worse. I can say that because I’m horrible when I’m sick. I’m not used to it and I’m cranky and whiny. (Although I don’t see Philip as whiny!!)
I think it’s a royal thing, not a lack of concern thing. The British royals march to a different beat.
Plus she’s 87 and still managing her a full calendar of engagements. And you can pick up nasty bits in hospitals.
I hope the Prince is released soon. 92 is pretty old to be operated on.
All this talk of in and out of the hospital and at the age with any kind of invasive operation… Makes me think he’s not going to last long. If anyone has seen an elder of there’s go into the hospital, come out and go right back in within a days time it’s never good. He might be in hospice care within their walls. That age also makes recovery and risk of infection spike like crazy on top of antibiotics weakening things.
The Queen strikes me as a tough as nails woman, but even if she’s prepared to see him go couples that have been together that long have grown physically dependent. That’s why they say they’ll die of a broken heart when a person loses their long time spouse. Just horribly sad.
Ya… and it’s also I think a generational and class thing – stiff upper lip and all.
Would YOU want to visit him?
lol!
It’s sad to say this, but I think the time has come (or at least it won’t take much longer)!
The family will rarely pay a physical visit to Philip or the Queen as they both tell family to stay away. In the actual words of Philip ‘Bloody well go away, I’ll see you when I feel better’. They will take family phone calls if they feel like it and aids or secretaries are sometimes there for a few hours along with a body guard and one or two armed police outside the room or in a nearby room, but one family visit for PR purposes is usually the limit. How do I know you ask? A nurse cousin who has been on duty with both of them.
The guy is 92, he can no longer keep up with the commitments the Queen has to attend. No doubt it is tiring for him to be on his feet all day long like that, not to mention his body can’t take it anymore. The Queen looks pretty good for now, but Prince Philip has been looking frail for awhile. I really hope the Palace makes him cut back on his appearances and forces him to rest. I wouldn’t be surprised if he passed away before his wife–morbid I know, but with the amount of times he has been and out of the hospital, it’s not looking good.
It don’t think that’s morbid, I think that’s entirely realistic. Women are generally slightly longer lived than men, plus the Queen in particular has the Queen Mum’s genes, and she lived to be 101.
I’m sure the Queen is privately facing up to her husband’s mortality, and I’m equally as sure that she’d die before she let it show. But at the same time, I’ve had extremely elderly relatives who’ve told me that as time goes on they’re just not scared or worried about dying, it’s just the next step for them. Especially those who were religious, like the Queen and Prince Philip.