By Rachel Elbaum - NBC News
Prince Philip, husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, left the hospital on Tuesday after being treated for an infection and undergoing heart surgery.
Philip, 99, was first admitted to a London hospital on February 16
, where he spent 28 nights, his longest stay at the health center.
On March 4, Buckingham Palace announced that he had undergone a successful medical procedure due to a heart condition after he was transferred to another hospital days earlier.
His stay in the hospital has coincided with a tumultuous period for royalty.
Prince Harry, Philip's grandson, along with his wife Meghan Markle, spoke about their reasons for stepping away from their roles as royalty and their reasons for leaving the UK in a highly disputed interview with media mogul Oprah Winfrey. .
[Meghan Markle says "saddened" that the accusations against her about bullying are a personal "attack"]
Harry claimed that an anonymous royal had conversations with him about his children's skin tone.
Meghan's mother is black.
Meghan also revealed that she had had suicidal thoughts during her time as royalty.
After almost two days of silence, Buckingham Palace issued a brief statement saying that the royal family was "saddened" to learn how difficult the past few years have been for Harry and Meghan and that they would face the accusations "in private".
On Thursday, Prince William denied that the British royal family was racist in its first public comments on Harry's interview.
Harry and Meghan moved with their son, Archie, to California last year and announced on Valentine's Day that they were expecting their second child.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry: British society reacts to their statements to Oprah
March 8, 202102: 45
The 94-year-old queen has continued her duties during Philip's time in the hospital
.
He spoke to scientists and school children last week to mark British Science Week.
In the video posted by the palace, he recalled meeting the first human to travel to space, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, in 1961.
Prince Charles, the eldest son of the royal couple and heir to the throne, visited his father on February 20.
Philip retired from public service in 2017 and is not seen often in public.
Both he and the queen received their coronavirus vaccinations in early January.
In April, Philip issued a written statement praising those involved in the fight against the coronavirus.
He and the queen have been married for 73 years.
