Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip Share Rare Throwback Photo As The Duke Recovers From Heart Surgery
March 4 2021, Published 4:28 p.m. ET
Back to the past! Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip shared a rare throwback photo of themselves — the same day that Buckingham Palace revealed the 99-year-old is recovering from heart surgery.
“Happy #WorldBookDay 📚. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are pictured in the Library at Balmoral Castle in 1976,” the Royal Family Instagram account captioned the sweet snap. “Swipe ⬅️ to see Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. The Royal Library is a treasure trove of more than 50,000 books and manuscripts collected by British monarchs over the centuries.”
Of course, fans left sweet comments for Philip. One person wrote, “Wishing a speedy recovery for Prince Philip ❤️,” while another echoed, “Sending very best wishes to the Duke of Edinburgh for a speedy recovery. This gentleman has dedicated his life to serving the British people and supporting the Queen. It really puts things into perspective and highlights what’s important 🇬🇧❤️🤍💙.”
A third user added, “Get well wishes for Prince Philip🙏🙏 🌻💐🌻.”
Earlier in the day, Buckingham Palace updated the public on Philip’s health condition.
“The Duke of Edinburgh yesterday underwent a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at St Bartholomew’s Hospital,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Thursday, March 4.
“His Royal Highness will remain in hospital for treatment, rest and recuperation for a number of days,” the statement added.
On February 16, Philip was admitted to the hospital since he was feeling under the weather.
Shortly after, the Duke was "transferred from King Edward VII's Hospital to St Bartholomew's Hospital where doctors will continue to treat him for an infection, as well as undertake testing and observation for a pre-existing heart condition."
Despite the scary situation, the Queen seems to be remaining positive.
"It's a lot to take on. But as usual, Elizabeth is handling the stress and sadness with great dignity," an insider said, adding that Prince William, Duchess Kate and the rest of the family have been "rallying around her."
