Phillip Mountbatten is "okay" in hospital, where doctors are "keeping an eye on him," his grandson William Mountbatten-Windsor told reporters on Monday.
Mountbatten, 99, was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London last week as a precautionary measure.
Although the reason for his stay has not been disclosed, it is known to be unrelated to Covid-19, and both Mountbatten and his wife, Elizabeth Windsor, have received the first doses of their Covid-19 vaccine.
While in hospital over the weekend, Mountbatten received a 30-minute visit from his son, Charles Mountbatten-Windsor, and the visit has since drawn controversy.
Although hospital visits are allowed under UK Covid-19 restrictions, they are still subject to individual hospital policy.
The visitation policy of Kind Edward VII's hospital is quite clear that family visits are allowed only in end-of-life circumstances.
This led many people on social media to speculate and assume the worst, although no official word on Mountbatten's health came from Buckingham Palace.
The news today, however, may further fan the flames of controversy as, if Mountbatten is indeed "okay," it would suggest a gentle bending of hospital policy has occured in order to facilitate the visit between father and son on Saturday afternoon.
This would be completely within the law as visitation policy is set by each individual hospital and they're allowed to alter the rules as they see fit.
It could be seen as bad optics, however, for a member of the Royal Family to receive special treatment when so many patients are suffering alone through the pandemic.
Mountbatten is expected to be discharged later this week.
