uh we're taking you to the king edward
the seventh hospital in central london
where the duke of edinburgh is leaving
after 28 nights in hospital
and our reporter helena wilkinson is
there helena what can you tell us
yes victoria um in the last couple of
moments or so
um a car has or is leaving right now
from
this hospital in central london where
the duke of edinburgh
has spent the last months now we haven't
seen him in the car but there has been
a huge police presence here just after
nine o'clock
police outriders arrived here at the
hospital there have been
police officers dotted around at various
corners on the streets in the host
around the hospital
what we saw in the last half an hour or
so down the muse which is a
rear entrance to the hospital which is
where the prince philip was taken in
when he arrived
here a month ago there were some screens
that were put up
uh to obscure the view because as you
uh can well imagine a huge number of
photographers
uh waiting to see if they can get a
glimpse of prince philip leaving the
hospital
he wasn't seen as far as we know
beyond those screens so whether he was
taken into the car
in a wheelchair perhaps that we don't
know at this stage and i think we can
expect
a statement from the palace at some
stage uh in the next hour or so
um the expectation is that it if it is
the duke who has left
the hospital he will be going back to
windsor castle which is where
uh he has been isolating with the queen
for the past year or so but in the last
couple of minutes or so we have seen a
car leaving the hospital
i i think we can assume it would have
been the duke of edinburgh
given the increased police presence here
at the hospital and those screens going
up to
stop photographers getting a glimpse of
prince
philip but we haven't had any formal
confirmation
from the palace i think if he does go
back to windsor castle which is the
expectation and i think once he arrives
back there
then i think perhaps we'll get some kind
of confirmation from buckingham palace
but
the duke of edinburgh has spent a month
here at the hospital you'll remember
that he went in on the 16th of february
he
originally went in as a precaution
because he was feeling
a little unwell we were told he was
brought here to the hospital for tests
he was expected initially to stay for a
couple of days but that
extended and he was then we were told
the following week been treated for an
infection
he then was transferred to a specialist
nhs cardiac hospital which had an ex
excellent cardiac department sent some
bartholomews and that's where
the duke of edinburgh had a successful
procedure to do with a pre-existing
heart condition and he was also
continued to be treated for
an infection after that he was brought
back here to
the king edward the seventh hospital
here in central london again
we were told he was only going to be
staying for a number of days but
that um extended somewhat but we now in
the last
couple of minutes also understand that
the duke of edinburgh has
left king edward the seventh hospital
here in central london
after spending a month here expected to
go back to windsor castle
where the queen is where they have been
isolating for the past year but again
just to stress
we haven't had official confirmation
from uh the palace yet
okay thank you very much helena let's
talk to our royal correspondent nicolas
switzer so we haven't actually seen him
in the car leaving
but would one assume that that was him
leaving it and his treatment has been
successful
i think we can assume that that was him
it is not
as helena has been saying it has not
been confirmed by buckingham palace and
i'm sure it will be half an hour or so
until they get him safely back to
windsor castle before they confirm that
but all the evidence of the special
escort bikers
police outriders the royal vehicles the
fact that a screen was put up
and you could just see the top of a head
rather slowly going across
into one of those vehicles which then
departed from the hospital
and yes i think it is reassuring news he
is clearly well enough now
after 28 nights in hospital since his
admission on the 16th of february as
helena was saying
went in originally feeling unwell on the
advice of his doctors
four nights of course at bart's hospital
for this unspecified
surgical procedure uh treatment for an
unspecified pre-existing heart condition
we know no more than that other than
that at one stage
he was said to be suffering from an
infection whatever it is
uh that has occurred would evidently
appear to have been successful
and he is we think not confirmed but we
think now on his way back
to windsor where in just about 12 weeks
he will celebrate
his 100th birthday that's right in june
and the queen has not seen him
face to face for a month prince charles
was the only visitor that's right
yeah and the queen has carried on and i
think the important thing is
that at no stage has there been any
sense of
serious concern or alarm there will have
been concern
because he is so close to his 100th
birthday and clearly somebody that age
going into hospital that will always be
a matter of concern but there has never
been any
outward sign of of sharp concern of
concern that this might uh uh result in
a decline in in his health a serious
decline
so yes as we think is as we have been
saying this we think is the car
uh into which the duke of edinburgh
stepped uh
from the hospital just a few moments ago
and one must assume
that uh that vehicle is now on its way
to
windsor uh to windsor castle where the
queen has been throughout these 28
days since he was first admitted on on
as i was saying the 16th
of february there you just a glimpse of
one of the
motorcycle outriders