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Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II's husband, leaves hospital and returns to Windsor Castle

Buckingham Palace says Philip underwent a successful medical procedure on a heart condition during his time in hospital.
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Prince Philip, the husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, left the hospital and returned to Windsor Castle on Tuesday after being treated for an infection and undergoing a medical procedure, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

Philip, 99, was first admitted to a London hospital Feb. 16. He spent time in two different hospitals for a total of 28 nights, his longest stay yet.

"His Royal Highness wishes to thank all the medical staff who looked after him at both King Edward VII’s Hospital and St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and everyone who has sent their good wishes," the palace said.

Windsor Castle is the queen's home 25 miles outside of London where she has lived during much of the pandemic. Prior to the lockdowns, she spent most weekends there.

His son, Prince Charles, who is the heir to the throne, said Tuesday that his release was "very good news."

"I'm thrilled about it," Charles said during a visit to a Covid-19 vaccination center in north London, according to Reuters.

"Oh yes, I've spoken to him — several times," he added.

On March 4, Buckingham Palace announced that he had undergone a successful medical procedure on a heart condition after he was transferred to another hospital days earlier.

His time in hospital has coincided with a tumultuous period for the royals. Prince Harry, Philip’s grandson, and his wife Meghan talked about their reasons for stepping back from their roles as senior royals and their reasons for leaving the United Kingdom in a much-discussed interview with the media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

The couple said that an unnamed royal insider had discussed with Harry how dark his children’s skin might be. Meghan’s mother is Black.

Meghan also said that she had had suicidal thoughts during her time as a royal.

After nearly two days of silence, the palace released a short statement saying that the royal family was "saddened" to learn of the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.

On Thursday, Prince William denied Britain's royal family was racist in his first public comments on Harry's interview.

Harry and Meghan moved with their son, Archie, to California last year and announced on Valentine's Day they were expecting their second child.

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The queen, 94, has carried on with her duties during Philip’s time in hospital. She spoke last week with scientists and school children to mark British Science Week. In a video released by the palace, she recalled meeting the first human to travel into space, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, in 1961.

Philip retired from public duties in 2017, and is not often seen in public. Both he and the queen received their coronavirus vaccinations in early January. In April, Philip released a written statement praising those involved in the fight against the pandemic.

He and the queen have been married for 73 years.