Prince Philip’s Health: Duke ‘Pretty Frail,’ Queen Elizabeth’s Husband Not Staying ‘Much Longer’

Prince Philip is pretty frail and might not stay much longer.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s health condition sparked a huge concern among royal fans especially after it was reported that he was hospitalized days before Christmas. According to Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretary Dickie Arbiter, the monarch’s husband is already “frail.”

Arbiter made the comment after it was reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren’t bringing their son Archie with them when they return to the U.K. The royal expert felt that the royal couple should have taken their comeback as an opportunity to allow their child to bond with the royal family especially since Prince Harry’s grandparents are already in their 90s.

“Prince Philip is going to be 99 in June, he’s not going to be here much longer,” Arbiter said when he appeared on Nine News Australia.

“You’ve got to be practical. He was in hospital over Christmas. He looked pretty frail when he came out and he’s up at Sandringham. Nobody has seen him and he is frail. People do get frail at that age. And it would be a great pity if Archie wasn’t brought over so his great grandparents could see him.”

According to royal expert Angela Mollard, Prince Philip’s poor health is among the long list of things that contribute to the Queen’s stress. The monarch herself is turning 94, and this year alone she faced Prince Harry and Markle’s exit, two royal divorces and her ailing and elderly husband.

Prince Harry and Markle were also slammed for not spending Christmas with the royal family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to stay in Canada for the holidays. However, their decision didn’t sit well with royal fans who felt that they should have joined the royal family because the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are already old and might not have many Christmases left.

“I was disappointed Harry and Meghan decided not to spend Christmas with the Queen. f I was Harry, I’d think there was plenty of time in the future to have Christmases on my own or with Meghan’s mum,” singer-songwriter Rod Steward said.

“Many of the family were very keen to see him over Christmas, but were told they couldn’t as they were abroad. There is a feeling they are being inconsiderate and selfish, given the Queen and Philip’s advancing age,” an insider said at the time, urging the couple to return to the U.K. for Christmas.

Prince Harry and Markle didn't listen and went on with their Christmas holiday plans in Vancouver. When the couple returned they shocked the palace with their bombshell announcement saying that they were stepping back as senior members of the royal family.