Prince Philip has been dealt a bitter blow as he continues to recover from a virus in hospital.
It has been revealed that on the day he was admitted to King Edward's in London, his friend and former royal page passed away.
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Speaking on True Royalty TV, royal commentator Robert Jobson revealed the news and said the loss would be felt all the more keenly by the Duke given that his royal page was someone he saw every day.
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He confirmed: "The other day when Prince Philip went into hospital, his royal page who was with him for many years died on the day the Duke went in.
"That is sad news for the Duke as well, when members of your staff that have been with you on a daily basis, and he is a lot younger than the Duke, when you hear that, it is quite difficult.
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"A lot of his friends have passed away, a lot of his staff have passed away."
The Queen and Prince Philip have been married since 1947
The Prince, 99, was admitted to hospital on 16 February as a precautionary measure after feeling unwell. He is now preparing to spend his 13th day in hospital – his longest ever stay.
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Last week, Philip's youngest son, Prince Edward, shared an update on his father’s condition. "He's a lot better, thank you very much indeed, and he's looking forward to getting out, which is the most positive thing, so we keep our fingers crossed," he told Sky News.
Prince Edward previously gave a health update on his father
Asked whether Philip was frustrated to be in hospital, Edward laughed and replied: "Just a bit. I think that gets to all of us, and then you can only watch the clock so many times and the walls are only so interesting.
"We've had some brilliant and lovely messages from all sorts of people and we really appreciate that and so does he, I've been passing them on. It's fantastic, thank you."
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