She celebrated much of the Diamond Jubilee without her husband by her side. So when the Queen's official duties came to an end on Wednesday, her first port of call was the hospital where the Duke of Edinburgh is recovering.Following a lunch with Commonwealth leaders, the monarch was driven to the King Edward VII Hospital in London to make her first visit since Prince Philip was admitted on Monday.
She arrived shortly after 5pm and stayed for 50 mins, and after half an hour was joined by her son Prince Andrew, who told the press that his father was "mending very well, thank you".Indeed, the Queen’s broad smile as she left the hospital confirms Buckingham Palace’s statement that the Prince’s condition has "improved considerably".But it is likely he will remain in hospital for a few more days to continue on a course of antibiotics, prescribed to treat a bladder infection.
He may well celebrate his 91st birthday there on Sunday.The Prince was taken ill at Windsor Castle on Monday afternoon following his appearance at the Thames pageant, during which the royal couple braved the cold wind and rain for hours on the deck of the Spirit of Chartwell.It meant he missed out on the Jubilee celebrations on Monday and Tuesday, although his son, the Earl of Wessex, who visited him on Tuesday, said he had been enjoying watching the coverage on TV.