Prince Philip was able to join his family in celebrating Christmas in Sandringham after staying in the hospital for a couple of days but not without speculations. The Duke of Edinburgh's trip to the hospital sparked speculations about his health as well as negative comments as to why Queen Elizabeth II did not visit her husband in the hospital.
The 98-year-old royal was taken to King Edward VII hospital in London over the weekend to receive treatment for a "pre-existing condition." The Buckingham Palace released a statement saying Prince Philip visited the hospital on advice from his doctors as a "precaution."
Philip was transported via helicopter while the Queen did not make any changes to her schedule. She traveled via train to Norfolk, a few hours after Philip had departed for London. It was revealed that Queen Elizabeth has both practical and heartwarming reasons for not visiting her husband in the hospital.
Royal expert Victoria Arbiter said members of the royal family don't visit each other in hospital but there is always an exception. The Queen's reason for not checking on Prince Philip in the hospital has a sensible ground rather than a lack of concern to her husband.
Arbiter explained wherever Her Majesty goes, her protocol and security measures alone could disrupt the normal operation of the hospital. The family is conscious of the other patients who are also undergoing treatment and they don't want to cause undue stress for them or their families. The royal expert added that the royal family is not only very private about their medical issues but they also want to avoid any further speculation.
Though the English monarch did not travel to the hospital, she did receive regular updates on Philip and she also spoke to him during his admission. One well-wisher in Windsor also asked the Queen about Prince Philip and she replied that the father of the future king is getting very well.
The Duke of Edinburgh has retired from royal duties in August 2017. In April 2018, he underwent a hip operation. At the time, reports indicated that Elizabeth and Philip's only daughter, Princess Anne, was the only member of the royal family who visited her father in the hospital.
A month later, Philip was able to attend the wedding of her grandson, Prince Harry, to Meghan Markle. He also attended the wedding of his granddaughter Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank in October.
Earlier this year, Prince Philip was involved in a car crash in Sandringham. Through the palace said the prince was unharmed, he was still taken to the hospital as a precaution. Subsequently, he voluntarily surrendered his driving license. He was last seen in public attending Lady Gabriella Kingston's wedding in May.
