Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, taken to hospital

Philip, 98, retired from public life in 2017 although he has occasionally appeared at official engagements

LONDON: Britain's Prince Philip, the 98-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth, was taken to hospital on Friday as a precautionary measure for treatment for apre-existing condition, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.

Philip, whose official title is the Duke of Edinburgh, travelled from the family's home in Norfolk, eastern England, to the King Edward VII Hospital in London for observation and treatment, the palace said in a statement.

Kate Middleton is now reportedly one of Queen Elizabeth's favourite Royals

"The admission is a precautionary measure, on the advice of His Royal Highness' Doctor," it said. Philip retired from public life in August 2017 although he has occasionally appeared at official engagements since.

He spent Christmas in 2011 in hospital after an operation to clear a blocked artery in his heart and he missed the end of celebrations to mark his wife's 60th year on the throne in 2012 after being hospitalised with a bladder infection.

Last year he spent 10 days in hospital following hip replacement surgery. In January this year, he escaped unhurt when his Land Rover car flipped over after a collision with another car close to the royals' Sandringham estate in Norfolk.