Princess Eugenie was warned about 'the worst' as father-in-law spent weeks on ventilator

Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank, and her mother-in-law Nicola Brooksbank were told to "prepare for the worst" after her father-in-law George Brooksbank was admitted to intensive care due to coronavirus.

George Brooksbank has been cured of the COVID-19 illness after surviving the worst of it, spending nine weeks in a hospital and five of them on a ventilator. His family was also asked to "prepare the worst" as he remained on life support even over two months after he was tested positive for the virus, reports The Telegraph.

The 71-year-old, who fell ill in mid-March following a trip to France, was being treated at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. While his situation remained critical for almost two months, it gradually improved after a tracheotomy and he was then moved to a ward at the Royal Brompton Hospital which specialised in heart and lung conditions in people recovering from COVID-19. After his condition continued to get better, he was brought to St Mary's in Roehampton for a further period of rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, Nicola Brooksbank, who contracted a less severe case of the disease and is recovering at home, said that they were told to "prepare for the worst" and is thankful for her husband to still be alive.

"Without doubt, they saved him, and we could not be more grateful. We were not able to see him throughout his treatment and more than once we were told to expect the worst," the 66-year-old said.

Princess Eugenie had two close relatives recovering from the rapidly-spreading disease, the other being her uncle Prince Charles. The heir apparent to the British throne was tested positive for the virus in March with mild symptoms and recovered from it within weeks in isolation at his Birkhall home in Balmoral estate, Scotland.

After recovering from the respiratory disease that has caused havoc across the world, George said he owes his life to United Kingdom's National Health Service and to the staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London and the Royal Brompton Hospital.

"The point I really want to get across is that I think the NHS is absolutely magnificent. The way I was treated was incredible. Nothing was too much trouble and at no point did I get a sense of a shortage of doctors or nurses or any impression that the service was in any way overwhelmed," the retired chartered accountant said, adding that he "certainly owe them" his life.

George further informed the outlet that he is walking around at the moment on one stick and hopes to get free of that next week. "My breathing is back to normal and I count myself extremely lucky. My thoughts now are with those still battling this disease and the NHS staff risking their own lives to help them," he added.