Prince Philip's royal doctors made sure strictest Covid safety protocols in place

The Royal Family sought assurances over Covid safety protocols before Prince Philip was taken to hospital after battling illness for several days.

Doctors working for the royal household were given guarantees that the strictest of precautions were being followed, with all patients tested before admission and in their private rooms.

Bosses at the King Edward VII's Hospital, in central London, had long prepared for such an event and already had a well established “open channel” of communication with the royal household, it is understood.

The Duke of Edinburgh was admitted on Tuesday night and expected to stay for a "period of rest and recuperation" for several days.

The Queen’s husband, 99, is spending a third night under observation despite Buckingham Palace insisting his stay was a “precautionary measure”.

The monarch and the Duke have spent the majority of the past 11 months locked inside Windsor Castle, keeping them safe from the coronavirus disease responsible for the deaths of more than 100,000 Brits.

Just weeks after the Queen and Prince Philip last month received their first covid-19 vaccination, Buckingham Palace confirmed the Duke’s illness is "not Covid-related”.

It is not known whether his hospital stay is related to a pre-existing condition.

The couple have been staying at Windsor being looked after by a reduced household of around 20 staff dubbed HMS Bubble.

No one has been able to come near them without having isolated themselves first and usually taken a test as well, meaning they have also spent long periods away from their families.

The staffing crisis meant Philip was persuaded to move to Windsor Castle instead of living at his Wood Farm home on the Sandringham estate where he has spent most of his time since retiring in 2017.

The monarch and Philip most likely have lunch or dinner together each day while spending other time on their separate interests.

A royal source said: “Considering the amount of time and diligence that has gone into constructing and maintaining covid protocols to keep the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh safe it was only right that the proper conversations were had with the hospital.

“The Duke was tested prior to being admitted and will be tested again during his stay.

“Every effort will be made to make sure he is able to rest and recuperate from his bout of illness.”

Hospital staff treating the "outspoken" Duke of Edinburgh are unlikely to see the consort as an ideal patient, a royal author said today.

Penny Junor joked that medics at the private King Edward VII's Hospital in London probably "would not want him" on their shift due to his aversion to people "fussing over him".

Ms Junor said: "I think he can be quite blunt and I think if he felt people were fussing over him he could be quite outspoken about that.

"This is a man who doesn't want any fuss made of his 100th birthday, so the fact he's in hospital and getting some fuss made of him will really irritate him."