All is well at Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are taking the necessary precautions after their son Prince Charles tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Wednesday, March 25. “The queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly on the morning of March 12 and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare.”
The queen, 93, and Philip, 98, are self-isolating at Windsor Castle, where they have been staying since Thursday, March 19. They plan to remain at the Berkshire residence until after the Easter holiday before returning to Buckingham Palace in London.
Clarence House announced in a statement earlier on Wednesday that Charles, 71, has COVID-19.
“He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home through the last few days as usual,” the statement read. “The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the prince and the duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland. The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing.”
Clarence House said it is “not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus” because he has carried out a number of royal engagements in recent weeks, including an event with Prince Albert II that took place nine days before the Monacan prince, 62, tested positive for the coronavirus.
Charles actively avoided shaking hands with attendees during the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London on March 9. Instead, he placed his hands together and bowed. His son Prince Harry, meanwhile, was spotted bumping elbows with guests at the service.
As a precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic, Buckingham Palace announced five major changes to the queen’s schedule earlier this month, including the cancellation of several garden parties.
“Many of us will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe. I am certain we are up to that challenge,” the monarch said in a statement on Thursday. “You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part.”
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