The Prince of Wales has visited his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, at King Edward VII’s hospital in London.

Prince Charles arrived at around 3.20pm on Saturday in a grey Tesla, and exited the vehicle wearing a face mask.

He is the first member of the royal family to visit during the Duke‘s stay in hospital and the pair spent about 30 minutes together.

Sky News understands Charles travelled from Highgrove in Gloucestershire and was visiting because the Duke has been in hospital a little longer than expected.

The Duke, 99, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday evening as a “precautionary measure” after feeling unwell.

On Friday it was reported that he was likely to remain there into next week for rest and observation, although he was said to be in “good spirits”.

Sky News home editor Jason Farrell said Prince Charles’ visit was “unusual because he hasn’t visited his father in hospital on previous occasions”.

He added: “The other concern is that family member visits in hospitals aren’t generally happening at the moment (due to the coronavirus pandemic).”

The hospital’s website states that visitors will “only be considered in exceptional circumstances”.

A royal source said last week that the reason for the Duke’s hospital stay was not coronavirus-related.

They added that he had been taken to hospital by car and not in an ambulance, and he walked inside unaided.

Both the Duke and the Queen had their COVID-19 vaccines in January, with Charles and his wife Camilla receiving their first doses earlier this month when their age group was called up.

Ten-year-old Twanna Saleh, from Camden in north London, wished the duke a “quick recovery” outside the hospital with a home-made sign.

Twanna said: “When I was little I used to have chemotherapy for five years and I felt sad for Philip so I wrote this letter so he can feel better.

“My sister helped me to draw the heart and the flower.”

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