UK's Prince Philip admitted to hospital as a 'precaution'

London: Britain's Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was admitted overnight to a London hospital as a "precautionary measure", Buckingham Palace said late on Wednesday.

The 99-year-old was taken to the private King Edward VII Hospital in the evening, the palace said, adding that it was "a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness's Doctor" after the prince felt unwell.

The Duke of Edinburgh "is expected to remain in hospital for a few days of observation and rest," the statement said. The prince and the Queen, 94, have been maintaining social distancing rules at Windsor Castle, because their age puts them at risk from Covid.

The couple received their first vaccination doses in January, the palace said in a rare public comment on the private health matters of the royal couple.

Prince Philip retired from public duties in 2017 at the age of 96 following a two-night hospitalisation for an infection. He then had a hip operation in 2018.