Prince Charles is the latest high profile public figure diagnosed with coronavirus.
On Wednesday night, Clarence House released a statement confirming the 71-year-old is in self-isolation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after testing positive for COVID-19.
According to a Clarence House spokesperson, the Prince is displaying “mild symptoms” but is otherwise in good health.
WATCH: All your questions about COVID-19, answered. Post continues after video.
“The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual,” they said.
“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.”
Here are the answers to all of the questions we have about Prince Charles’ coronavirus diagnosis.
How is Prince Charles doing?
Presumably, as good as anyone can be after learning they’ve tested positive for COVID-19. What we do know about Prince Charles’ health is he’s displaying “mild coronavirus symptoms” but is otherwise feeling OK. He was tested by the UK’s public health service, the NHS, upon arriving in Scotland for a pre-planned Easter trip after his symptoms worsened over the weekend.
BBC Royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell reports the Prince of Wales is “still working, is up and about and in good spirits”.
“It’s expected Charles will now be in Scotland for a couple of weeks recovering from the symptoms.”
How did Prince Charles get coronavirus?
Excellent question. At the time of publishing, Clarence House maintains it’s near-impossible to determine when, where and from whom Prince Charles contracted the virus.
“It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus, owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks,” a spokesperson said.
Despite carrying out many public engagements in late February and early March, Prince Charles has been vigilant about observing handshaking rules. Instead, he’s been seen elbow bumping and greeting people with a ‘Namaste’ gesture.
Does Prince Charles have any pre-existing health conditions?
Prince Charles reportedly does not have any major pre-existing health conditions that could impact the severity of his coronavirus diagnosis.
Despite the fact NHS are currently only testing UK residents who "have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital," Prince Charles was deemed an appropriate candidate for testing due to his age and medical history, details of which are private.
Does Camilla Parker Bowles have coronavirus?
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has also been tested for the virus but returned negative results.
The 72-year-old is in self-isolation at Balmoral Castle, where the royal couple have a small staff with them, the BBC reports.
Who did Prince Charles come into contact with over the last two weeks?
Prior to the UK lock down, which was announced by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on March 23, many members of the Royal Family had been carrying out their regular royal duties, including Prince Charles.
According to Sky News, doctors believe the royal may have been contagious since March 13. His last public engagement was on March 12.
On March 12, Prince Charles attended a dinner in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort at Mansion House in London. Guests at that dinner included Australian High Commissioner George Brandis, Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell, and Hilary Russell.
Prince Charles also attended the Prince's Trust And TK Maxx & Homesense Awards at London Palladium on March 11, where he (safely) greeted guests including actor Pierce Brosnan, Rolling Stones musician Ronnie Wood, British TV presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, singer Craig David, and actor Richard E. Grant, among others.
On March 10, Prince Charles was photographed sitting opposite Prince Albert of Monaco at a London conference about water and climate change. Nine days later, Prince Albert announced he had contracted the virus.
The Telegraph reports all those who have been in contact with Prince Charles have been traced and informed. So far, none have reported experiencing coronavirus symptoms, aside from Prince Albert.
When was the last time Prince Charles saw the Queen and is she at risk?
Buckingham Palace has confirmed the last time Queen Elizabeth II saw her son was on March 12.
"The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of 12th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare,” a palace spokesperson said, adding she "remains in good health". It is not known whether the Queen has been tested.
"The fact that it has been two weeks since [Charles] last saw the Queen and she is not showing any symptoms is also a positive sign,” former royal physician Dr. Anna Hemming also told Vanity Fair.
“The royal doctors will be monitoring the royals closely and following the government guidelines very closely.”
The Queen has been in self-isolation at her Windsor Castle residence since March 19.
Before that, the 93-year-old and Prince Charles both attended the Commonwealth Day Service on March 9 in London, along with Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
What about Prince Philip? Is he OK?
As far as we know, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, is not at immediate risk of contracting coronavirus, though his age and pre-existing health conditions dictate he is at high risk of possible infection, should he come into contact with someone who has tested positive to the virus.
The 98-year-old was not with the Queen on the occasions she came into contact with Prince Charles in March. He is in self-isolation with the Queen at Windsor Castle.
According to The Guardian, the couple have a skeleton staff attending only to them. This is likely to include the Queen’s dresser, Angela Kelly, and the Page of the Backstairs, Paul Whybrew, along with Philip’s valet and page. A housemaid, chef and footman are also understood to be part of the team.
So, are the royals all OK?
In short, yes.
They are all self-isolating in separate royal residences and reportedly doing fine. Except for Prince Charles, who likely is feeling a bit rotten.
- With AAP
Feature image: Getty.
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Top Comments
What's with the moronic elbow bumping, namaste greetings (unless itnis your cultural custom), foot tapping etc? A simple verbal greeting should suffice under the circumstances.
No more moronic than holding someone else's hand and shaking it.
Normally nothing wrong with hand shaking, but these are not normal times.
A physical greeting (most commonly a handshake) is instinctive in social and protocolled situations. It's easier to "unlearn" the instinct to make physical contact by consciously doing another action that is alien to you. A verbal greeting alone is coupled with the instinct to extend your hand, which one often does quite unconsciously.