Duke of Edinburgh taken to London hospital for treatment of 'pre-existing condition'

20 December 2019, 14:20 | Updated: 20 December 2019, 18:15

The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital for treatment relating to a pre-existing condition, Buckingham Palace said.

Philip, 98, left Sandringham, where he spends much of his time since retiring, to attend the King Edward VII Hospital in London on Friday morning.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "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' Doctor."

The Duke is expected to be in hospital for a few days. He was not taken by ambulance and it was a planned admission.

There are police officers guarding the main entrance to the hospital, with more stationed along the street.

The announcement came as the Queen arrived at the Norfolk estate, after she had travelled from the capital on Friday to begin her Christmas break.

She caught the 10.42am Great Northern service from King's Cross station in London and arrived at platform two in King's Lynn on time, at 12.31pm.

The 93-year-old monarch, carrying a black handbag and wearing a salmon pink coat and patterned headscarf, stepped from the front carriage of the train onto the platform.

She briefly mingled with passengers before she was escorted through a side exit known as the Royal Gate to a waiting Range Rover.

Sandringham, the Queen's private estate in Norfolk, is a 30-minute drive from King's Lynn.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, who spends much of his time at Sandringham since he retired from public duties in 2017, were due to be joined by other members of the royal family for part of the festive period.