The Queen and Prince Philip face weeks in self-isolation together at Windsor Castle after Prince Charles today revealed he has tested positive for coronavirus.
The Prince of Wales, 71, has a ‘mild’ form of the illness and is on the Balmoral estate with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has tested negative and is without any symptoms of the virus, which has killed 435 and infected 8,200 more in the UK so far.
A royal source said Charles’ doctor’s most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13 – 24 hours after ‘briefly’ meeting his 93-year-old mother the Queen. A Buckingham Palace spokesman has said: ‘Her Majesty remains in good health. The Queen is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare’.
It is not known if the monarch has been tested for coronavirus but she is on lockdown and not even close family members can see her. Her weekly meeting with the Prime Minister is being done by phone, rather than in person at Buckingham Palace, where a worker tested positive while the Queen was still in residence last week.
The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh, who was helicoptered to Windsor from Sandringham last Thursday, are being looked after by her two favourite staff, who are part of a skeleton team of just eight. The rest of her 100-plus workers have all been told to go home to protect both the head of state and themselves.
Charles’ coronavirus was confirmed yesterday – exactly a fortnight after meeting Prince Albert of Monaco, who tested positive five days ago, after he sat opposite the Prince of Wales at a WaterAid event in London on March 10.
A Clarence House spokesman said: ‘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.
‘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’. NHS Scotland has said the heir to the throne qualified because of his age and his symptoms.
Charles’ spokesman said it was impossible to say where he caught it from because of the large number of public engagements he has carried out in ‘recent weeks’ – but it will raise questions over whether it came from Prince Albert and if the heir to the throne has spread it himself, including to relatives.
As coronavirus reached the royal family on the second day of Britain’s lockdown, it has also emerged:
Charles was last seen with the Queen on March 9 at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey and saw her again on March 12 – 24 hours before his doctor claims he became contagious. Her Majesty is well but taking appropriate medical advice and is in self-isolation with Philip at Windsor with a skeleton team of just eight
MailOnline has plotted Charles movements over the past 16 days, where he is likely to have met hundreds of people over the past few weeks:
March 10: Charles (left) sat across from Prince Albert of Monaco at an event in London on March 10 – Albert tested positive on March 20 but Charles’ team say it is impossible to know how he caught it after a flurry of public engagements this month
March 11: Prince Charles has been continuing to carry out public engagements despite the coronavirus crisis – but has avoided shaking hands, shown here using a namaste gesture to Ant and Dec at the Prince’s Trust Awards 2020
March 12: Charles stood in for his mother on investiture day 13 days ago – and saw his mother ‘briefly’ at Buckingham Palace that day
March 12: The Prince of Wales meets guests at a dinner at Mansion House in London, where he was guest of honour
Prince Albert, Boris Johnson and the Queen: Who Prince Charles has met over the past 16 days and where
Prince Charles has carried out a number of engagements over the past fortnight at which he has had contact with possibly hundreds of people.
Here are his movements around London over the last two weeks:
Charles is said to be happy and calm despite his diagnosis.
A royal source told People magazine of Charles and Camilla: ‘Both of them remain in good spirits. There is a sense of keeping calm and carrying on.
‘The duchess is concerned for him, but she is aware of his own good spirits and therefore is keeping a close eye on him and mindful of her own situation. She is upbeat.’
MailOnline has also plotted the prince’s movements over the past 16 days and he attended at least six public engagements meeting hundreds of people.
These included a string of Britain’s biggest stars at his annual Prince’s Trust awards at the Royal Albert Hall two weeks ago – the start of the coronavirus 14-day incubation period.
The Prince of Wales was last at Buckingham Palace on March 12 to carry out investiture on behalf of the Queen, who he also ‘briefly’ met.
His coronavirus diagnosis will raise fears for the health of elderly royals including his mother and Prince Philip, 98, who are together at Windsor Castle, especially because of the high death rate among the elderly.
Charles is understood not to have seen his father for many weeks, possibly during the Megxit crisis talks at Sandringham, where his 98-year-old father was based until he flew by helicopter to Windsor last Thursday.
William and Kate are at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, while Harry and Meghan are back in Canada after both couples saw Charles at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9.
At the service, no members of the royal family shook hands, with the Prince greeting people with Namastes and the Duke of Sussex elbow bumping Craig David.
Two days later on March 11 he also met with a string of celebrities at the Prince’s Trust Awards 2020 in London, attended by Ant and Dec, Philip Schofield, Fearne Cotton, Pierce Brosnan, Richard E Grant, Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood, X Factor star Fleur East, Dina Asher-Smith and Craig David.
Arriving at the Prince’s Trust awards a fortnight ago, Charles twice extended his hand to greet people before withdrawing it at the last minute in mock horror and greeting them with a bow and the Hindi greeting ‘Namaste’.
Where are senior members of the Royal Family staying during the coronavirus outbreak?
The Queen: Travelled from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle on Thursday, March 19
Prince Philip: Travelled from Sandringham to Windsor Castle on Thursday, March 19
Prince Charles and Camilla: Flew from Clarence House in London to Balmoral in Aberdeenshire by RAF plane on Sunday, March 22
Prince William and Kate: Moved from Kensington Palace to Amner Hall in Norfolk with George, Charlotte and Louis
Prince Harry and Meghan: Staying on Vancouver Island in Canada with their son Archie
Prince Andrew: Staying at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park
Prince Edward and Sophie: Staying in Bagshot, Surrey
Turning to Dame Martina Milburn, the Trust’s chief executive, the prince said: ‘It’s just so hard to remember not to.’
On the evening of March 12, after investitures at Buckingham Palace, The Prince of Wales with the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the High Commissioner for Australia at a Mansion House dinner in London, his last known public engagement.
But he did have a number of private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy individuals, all of whom have been made aware of his illness.
He flew to Birkhall, his Balmoral home, with Camilla on March 22 – around the time he started feeling unwell. A small number of people living and working at Birkhall are remaining at the residence and self-isolating.
Charles had been displaying ‘mild symptoms’ over the weekend before being tested on Monday.
A royal source has said that medical advice given to the prince is that it is unlikely to escalate into a more serious case.
Charles has spoken to his sons the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex, as well as the Queen since he tested positive in an NHS test yesterday.
Why did Prince Charles and Camilla get tested for coronavirus when the NHS say ONLY patients in the hospital will be screened?
Question have been raised after Prince Charles and Camilla were tested for coronavirus despite thousands of NHS workers and sick Brits being denied a swab.
The Prince of Wales, 71, is thought to have been tested via a nasal swab by NHS Grampian staff at the royal residence in Aberdeenshire, despite only showing mild symptoms. Camilla, 72, was also swabbed, even though she had no symptoms. But she produced a negative result and has now separated herself from the prince.
NHS Scotland’s website states that, in general, tests are only to be given out if patients ‘have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital’ – which is in line with the criteria in the rest of the UK.
It means that even NHS staff suffering tell-tale symptoms of the virus are not entitled to a test. The news has sparked fury and claims the royals had ‘special treatment’. But Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, has said she is satisfied Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were tested for ‘clinical reasons’.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Boris Johnson was informed about the Prince of Wales’ positive test result this morning and he ‘wishes the prince a speedy recovery’.
The spokesman said the Prime Minister’s weekly audience with the Queen was now taking place by telephone.
‘I would expect that to be the case later today, it certainly was the case last week as well,’ the spokesman said.
A member of the Scottish Parliament has expressed surprise that the Prince of Wales was tested for Covid-19 on the NHS.
Joan McAlpine, SNP MSP for the South of Scotland, tweeted that she wishes Charles a speedy recovery, but added: ‘Given that his symptoms are said to be mild, like many I wonder how he was tested when many NHS and social care workers cannot get tested.
‘My nephew, who has serious asthma and a chest infection was recently refused a test. #coronavirus.’
It came after Clarence House said Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were tested on the NHS in Aberdeenshire, where they are currently staying, as ‘they met the criteria required for testing’. It also said Charles is experiencing ‘mild symptoms’.
The NHS Scotland website says people will only generally be tested for Covid-19 if they ‘have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital’.
March 9: The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Marlborough House for a Commonwealth Day event. Camilla has tested negative and is without any symptoms of the virus
March 9: Charles also stood close to his children and his wives on March 9 at Westminster Abbey, before he is said to have been contagious. William and Kate are at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, while Harry and Meghan are back in Canada.
Charles, pictured with his family on March 9, is with his wife Camilla at Balmoral. She is not showing symptoms but is being monitored
Prince Charles walks past Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Westminster Abbey on March 9, with his daughter-in-law Kate to his right
Prince Charles is in an ‘excellent position’ to fight the coronavirus because of his healthy diet and lifestyle
Prince Charles is in an ‘excellent position’ to beat coronavirus despite his age, according to a former GP.
Over-70s are among those most at risk of suffering serious complications as a result of the virus, which has killed 424 and infected 8,000 more in the UK so far.
But the Prince of Wales, who turned 71 in November, should be protected because of his healthy diet and lifestyle, according to Dr Sarah Brewer.
She warned that he must avoid his royal relatives not living in the same household, adding that the ‘same rules apply to everyone. He is not known to have any underlying health conditions.
Dr Brewer added: ‘Should he become unwell, his underlying fitness and excellent medical care should ensure he makes a good recovery.’
Charles and Camilla are both aged over 70 – the age group told to take social distancing particularly seriously.
The Government advice states: ‘We are advising those who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (Covid-19) to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.’
The group includes anyone aged 70 or over, regardless of any medical conditions.
Asked about the Prince of Wales testing positive for coronavirus, Scotland’s chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood said: ‘I’ve discussed with the team in NHS Grampian and from the information I’ve been given its clear he was tested for clinical reasons and I’m pleased also that he is well and as with many people who have had this virus he has had a mild illness.’
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she sends her best wishes to the Prince of Wales.
Asked about the Government’s instruction that people should not seek to escape the Covid-19 pandemic by travelling to the Highlands, she said: ‘We want people to behave responsibly, we don’t want people to see the Highlands and Islands of our country as places where they can outrun the virus.
‘Obviously there are places where people have homes in Scotland and people will choose to go to their homes but we should all be responsible.’
At Westminster, Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz said: ‘Can I start by wishing Prince Charles a speedy recovery, I know he’s tested positive for coronavirus and our gracious sovereign who’s also in self-isolation.’
Around 1.5 million in England fall into a more serious group and have been told to stay at home for 12 weeks.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT PRINCE CHARLES’ MEDICAL HISTORY?
The Prince of Wales Prince Charles‘s medical history isn’t publicly known – but he has had a catalogue of injuries over the years.
Concerns for his health were sparked in November when he was pictured with swollen hands and feet on the first day of his royal tour in India.
As he removed his shoes to step into a Sikh temple in New Delhi, the 70-year-old’s fingers and toes were red and swollen.
Swollen feet can have many causes, among them gout and diabetes – but there is no suggestion Prince Charles has any of them. Often swelling is caused by a build-up of fluid, which may happen as a result of spending too long sitting, such as on long-haul flights.
Charles has hurt his back several times over the years in falls from horses and ponies. He had a slipped disc in 1991 and broke a rib in 1998.
The Prince of Wales also needed keyhole surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee in 1998. He had the surgery on his left knee years earlier. All those years of wear and tear took their toll on Charles’s legs, and in 1998 he needed keyhole laser surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee.
This includes those who have received a donor organ, anyone on active chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer, some with specific cancers and people with severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma.
Charles’ health has been relatively robust. Last November, the Prince of Wales was seen with painfully swollen hands and feet during the first day of his royal tour in India, sparking concerns for his health.
As he removed his shoes to step into a Sikh temple in New Delhi, the 71-year-old’s fingers and toes were considerably red and inflamed.
But the heir to the throne dismissed any apparent discomfort, which may have been caused by the nine-hour flight to South Asia.
And in 2018, Prince Charles admitted he was no longer in the shape he once was.
As he approached his 70th birthday, the royal joked that he knows ‘only too well’ the inevitable physical decline that comes with reaching such a milestone.
‘I don’t know about you,’ he told a crowd of septuagenarians in Brisbane, Australia at the time, ‘but now bits of me keep falling off at regular intervals.’
Charles has, certainly, suffered a catalogue of injuries over the years.
When he met boxer Amir Khan in 2015, the pair compared battle wounds — and it turned out Charles had done himself more damage in his lifetime than the former world champion had suffered in the ring.
In recent years, his catalogue of injuries include a swollen eye caused by dust from a tree, to a cracked rib sustained in a tumble from a horse and a non-cancerous growth which was removed from his face in 2008.
WHAT IS THE RISK OF CORONAVIRUS TO A 71-YEAR-OLD MAN SUCH AS PRINCE CHARLES?
Older people are known to be most vulnerable to the coronavirus because they have weaker immune systems, which makes it harder for them to fight off any infection.
Patients battling underlying medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, also face a greater risk of dying or suffering severe complications.
It is unclear if Prince Charles, 71, has any underlying health conditions that may raise his risk.
Chinese researchers, who carried out the world’s biggest study on COVID-19 patients, warned the risk of patients in their 70s dying was around eight per cent.
The team, who analysed data from 72,000 coronavirus cases, found the overall case-fatality ratio, the percentage of patients who die, was just 2.3 per cent.
British health officials say the death rate is likely to be much lower because there are tens of thousands of patients who won’t be diagnosed because their symptoms are so mild.
What is the death rate for COVID-19 for different age groups?
0 deaths recorded
The same study also found the case-fatality ratio was higher for men (2.8 per cent) than women (1.7 per cent), a finding that has been echoed across the world.
Scientists say they don’t know why women seem less likely to die, but have suggested they naturally tend to have stronger immune systems and are less likely to have long-term health conditions.
Could other royals now have coronavirus? How Prince Charles’s met the Queen and family members from Prince William and Kate Middleton to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the 16 days weeks before testing positive
Prince Charles has had contact with possibly hundreds of people over the past 16 days, including the Queen and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The 71-year-old heir to the throne, who has tested positive for coronavirus, carried out at least six engagements as the outbreak gathered pace.
He last met with the Queen briefly at Buckingham Palace on March 12, with doctors believing he could have been contagious from the following day.
Charles with the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle at the Westminster Abbey service on March 9
Prince Charles is greeted by Baroness Scotland as he arrives with the Duchess of Cornwall for the Commonwealth Reception at Marlborough House in London on March 9
Charles also met all the senior members of the Royal Family apart from Prince Philip at the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9.
Others royals at the service included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who have since moved to Amner Hall in Norfolk with their three children.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have since returned to Vancouver Island before they step down as senior royals on March 31, were also there.
The Queen – who remains in ‘good health’ – travelled from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle last Thursday, where Philip joined her from Sandringham.
Charles’s last public engagement was on March 12 when he attended a dinner at Mansion House in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort.
Charles with singer Alexandra Burke (second left) and other guests during the Commonwealth Reception at Marlborough House in London on Commonwealth Day on March 9
The Prince of Wales alongside Tim Wainwright from WaterAid at Kings Place on March 10
The Prince of Wales at the WaterAid charity’s Water and Climate event in London on March 10
But following this Charles did have a number of private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy individuals, all of whom have been made aware.
On March 9, the day of the Commonwealth Service, Charles and his wife Camilla also went to Marlborough House in London for a reception.
They were guests of Commonwealth secretary-general Baroness Scotland at the event to mark Commonwealth Day at the Commonwealth Secretariat.
One day later, Charles was with Monaco’s head of state Prince Albert II, who has since tested positive for coronavirus.
Charles is not believed to have shaken hands with Prince Albert but attended a roundtable meeting with him at the WaterAid Summit in London on that day.
And on March 11 Charles, the president of the Prince’s Trust, met award winners and the charity’s supporters at the annual Prince’s Trust Awards.
Celebrities he met at the event included actors Pierce Brosnan, James Norton and Richard E. Grant, Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and presenters Ant and Dec.
Then one day later on March 12, Charles had a short meeting with the Queen in the morning at Buckingham Palace after holding an investitures ceremony.
Charles gave honours to children’s TV presenter Baroness Benjamin, Scottish composer Helen Grime and The Searchers singer Michael Prendergast.
And later that evening, Charles attended a dinner at Mansion House in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort.
He met with the Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell, and the High Commissioner for Australia, George Brandis, at the event.
The prince was pictured practising namastes instead of handshakes at his public events, including when the royals gathered for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, and the Prince’s Trust event on March 11.
Today, a Clarence House spokesman said Charles was displaying ‘mild symptoms’ but is in good health as he self isolates at home in Scotland.
Charles alongside footballer Harry Kane on stage at the annual Prince’s Trust Awards 2020 held at the London Palladium on March 11
The Prince of Wales greets Pierce Brosnan (centre) at the London Palladium on March 11
Charles with Kate Garraway and Alexander Armstrong at the London Palladium on March 11
The Prince of Wales speaks to Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood at the London Palladium on March 11
Camilla, 72, who is also at Birkhall, in Aberdeenshire, has tested negative for the virus, so is separating herself from the prince.
Buckingham Palace said the 93-year-old monarch, who is staying at Windsor Castle with the 98-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, remains in good health and is following all appropriate advice.
Philip was not with the Queen at Buckingham Palace when she last met Charles on March 12.
Charles has spoken to both his sons the Duke of Cambridge, who is in Norfolk with the Duchess of Cambridge and their young children, and the Duke of Sussex, who is in Canada. He has also been in touch with the Queen.
In a statement, Clarence House said: ‘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.
‘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.
‘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 source said his doctor’s most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13.
The Baroness Benjamin from London is made a Dame Commander of the British Empire by the Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on March 12
The Prince of Wales (right) talks to the Lord Mayor of London, William Russell, and his wife Hilary at a dinner for the Australian bushfire relief at Mansion House in London on March 12
Charles with the Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell (left) and the High Commissioner for Australia, George Brandis (right) at a dinner at Mansion House on March 12
A small number of people living and working at Birkhall are remaining at the residence and self-isolating.
The source said the prince was up and about and not bedridden. Medical advice is that it is unlikely to escalate into a more serious case.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said today: ‘Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health.
‘The Queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of March 12 and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare.’
How Birkhall is Prince Charles and Camilla’s idyllic royal retreat
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall spent their honeymoon at the idyllic royal retreat of Birkhall.
Now as they approach their 15th wedding anniversary next month, the pair are self-isolating from one another in their beloved Scottish home after Charles tested positive for coronavirus.
Each Easter and summer, Charles and Camilla head to the residence nestled in a picturesque glen on the Queen’s private Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire.
Charles at a ceremony to present service medals in the grounds of Birkhall in 2012
The couple, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, usually spend their time fishing, painting or walking together near the secluded home, which used to belong to Charles’s grandmother the Queen Mother.
But this stay will be vastly different as they isolate from each other and their small remaining household.
The Queen Mother used to describe the home as a ‘little big house’.
The grand hunting lodge was where the heir to the throne Charles found sanctuary as a teenager with his grandmother during his unhappy school days at Gordonstoun.
Charles and Camilla at the Arboretum at Birkhall in the BBC documentary ‘Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70’ in November 2018
He inherited it from the Queen Mother following her death in 2002.
In Charles’s own words, the retreat is ‘a unique haven of cosiness and character’.
Alongside his grandmother, Charles first learned to fish by the whisky-brown waters of the Muick which flows at the bottom of the lodge’s garden.
During the turmoil of his divorce from Diana, Princess of Wales, it was at Birkhall that Charles sought refuge from media scrutiny.
Shortly after the death of the Queen Mother, the grieving Prince made the sad journey back to stay in the nostalgic house, where he was joined by Camilla.
Hidden from public view, the mansion dates to 1715 and was bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for their son in 1849.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Birkhall in a photograph for Country Life magazine in 2018
The Queen Mother, then the Duchess of York, first went there shortly after she married the Duke of York in 1923 when King George V suggested they use it as their Scottish home.
Charles’s parents, the Queen, then known as Princess Elizabeth, and the Duke of Edinburgh, spent part of their honeymoon at Birkhall in 1947, after first travelling to Broadlands in Hampshire to the home of Philip’s uncle Earl Mountbatten.
The Scottish mansion also played a crucial role in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s romance when they were dating.
William and Kate enjoyed romantic breaks at the retreat and reportedly told friends many of their happiest weekends were spent at the sanctuary.
In 2010, Camilla broke her left fibula while out hillwalking on the Balmoral estate.
This content was originally published here.
