Britain’s Prince Philip, 99, in hospital

© Reuters/POOL Britain’s Prince Philip stepping down from his role as Colonel-in-Chief for the Rifles in Windsor

By Sarah Young and Paul Sandle

LONDON (Reuters) – Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s 99-year-old husband, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday evening as a precautionary measure with an ailment that is not COVID-related.

© Reuters/HANNAH MCKAY View of King Edward VII’s Hospital in London

The prince, whose official title is the Duke of Edinburgh, walked into hospital unaided after feeling unwell for a short period, a royal source said.

© Reuters/POOL FILE PHOTO: Britain’s Prince Philip stepping down from his role as Colonel-in-Chief for the Rifles in Windsor

“The Duke’s admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness’s doctor, after feeling unwell,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

He is at the King Edward VII Hospital in London where he is expected to remain for a few days of observation and rest.

He does not have a COVID-19 related illness, the royal source said.

The queen, 94, remains at Windsor Castle near London, where the pair have been staying during Britain’s coronavirus pandemic. Both received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier in January.

© Reuters/HANNAH MCKAY View of King Edward VII’s Hospital in London

Philip is rarely seen in public after he stepped down from official engagements in August 2017. He was previously admitted to hospital at the end of 2019.

The Greek-born former naval officer has had several stays in hospital over the last decade, including treatment for an infection in 2017 and hip replacement surgery.

(Reporting by Sarah Young, Paul Sandle and Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Giles Elgood)

© Reuters/POOL FILE PHOTO: Britain’s Prince Philip stepping down from his role as Colonel-in-Chief for the Rifles in Windsor