Covid stops the Queen from seeing Prince Philip

The Queen is unlikely to be able to see Prince Philip until he leaves hospital due to Covid regulations.

The monarch, who is being kept regularly updated about her husband’s condition, will not be permitted to visit him at St Bart’s in London, where he was transferred on Monday.

This is because visitors are currently excluded apart from a handful of ‘exceptional’ circumstances, including end of life. 

She did not visit him at King Edward VII’s Hospital as she is always reluctant to cause disruption to any hospital’s vital work and knows her presence would place unnecessary pressure on staff at the best of times.

It means the Queen will have been parted from her husband of 73 years for at least three weeks.

St Bart’s said while they know it is difficult for patients and their families ‘our first duty is to the patients we serve, and to maintain their safety at all times we need to control visiting’.

It adds: ‘We are only allowing visitors in exceptional circumstances. We understand that having a family member in hospital is distressing, and we work closely with relatives and friends to ease their concerns and find alternative ways of keeping in touch.’

Buckingham Palace announced on Monday that Philip had been transferred to St Bart’s for continuing treatment for an infection, as well as ‘testing and observation’ for a pre-existing heart condition.

Although he remains comfortable and responding to treatment, they said, he will remain in hospital until at least the end of the week.