Princess Eugenie’s in-laws were told ‘more than once’ to ‘prepare for the worst’ when her husband’s father George Brooksbank, 71, spent five weeks on a ventilator battling coronavirus, his wife reveals
- George Brooksbank, 71, was on a ventilator for five weeks in intensive care
- Princess Eugenie, 30, and her husband Jack were told to ‘prepare for the worst’
- The royal’s father-in-law has paid tribute to NHS staff for saving his life
- George fell ill in March after a trip to France and spent nine weeks in hospital
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Princess Eugenie’s in-laws were told to ‘expect for the worst’ when her husband’s father battled life-threatening coronavirus, his wife has revealed.
Jack Brookbank’s father George, 71, who lives in London, fell ill with the disease in mid-March after a trip to France.
He spent five weeks on a ventilator fighting for his life at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital before having a tracheotomy, and he has now recovered from the disease.
His wife Nicola, 66, who also contracted coronavirus but did not need hospital treatment, paid tribute to doctors who saved his life, saying: ‘We were not able to see him throughout his treatment and more than once we were told to expect the worst.’
Princess Eugenie’s father-in-law George Brooksbank, 66, battled life-threatening coronavirus and spent five weeks on a ventilator, with the family told to ‘expect the worst’ (pictured, at the royal wedding in October 2018)
George, whose son Jack married the Queen’s grand-daughter in 2018, ended up being in hospital for nine weeks, said a spokesman for Eugenie’s mother Sarah, Duchess of York.
After a tracheotomy, his condition gradually improved and he was moved to a ward at the Royal Brompton Hospital which specialised in heart and lung conditions in people recovering from Covid-19.
He then underwent a further period of rehabilitation at an institution in Roehampton.
George said he now felt ‘absolutely fine’, attributing his recovery to the several weeks of recuperation in hospital.
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank were told to ‘expect the worst’ as George battled the disease in hospital for nine weeks
‘The point I really want to get across is that I think the NHS is absolutely magnificent,’ said George, who lives with his wife Nicola, 66, in Wandsworth, south London.
‘The way I was treated was incredible. Nothing was too much trouble and at no point did I get a sense of a shortage of doctors or nurses or any impression that the service was in any way overwhelmed.
‘There was always somebody at hand. I want to offer profound thanks to everyone who was involved.’
He described his treatment as ‘incredible’, revealing: ‘It was a real eye-opener for somebody who has not been in hospital before for any length of time. I certainly owe NHS doctors and nurses my life.’
Meanwhile Jack’s mother Nicola, who also contracted the disease but did not require hospital treatment, said the family ‘could not be more grateful’ to the NHS for saving her husband’s life
Nicola, who also contracted the disease but is recovering at home without hospital treatment, echoed her husband’s tribute to the NHS for saving his life.
She said: ‘Without doubt, they saved him, and we could not be more grateful.’
Eugenie is likely to have kept her grandmother the Queen informed about her father-in-law’s health.
The princess and the Brooksbank family were said to be relieved after he overcame the virus and the retired chartered accountant and company director said he was making a good recovery.
While Princess Eugenie hasn’t commented on George’s battle publicly, she has been playing an active role on social media to highlight the work of NHS staff on the frontline
George’s illness comes after the Prince of Wales suffered from Covid-19, although his symptoms were mild.
While Princess Eugenie has not commented publicly on George’s battle, she has played an active role on social media during the pandemic, highlighting work done to support NHS staff working on the frontline.
The Queen’s granddaughter and her husband Jack have been in lockdown during the pandemic with the Duke and Duchess of York at their home of the Royal Lodge in Windsor.