Photo: Instagram/@clarencehouse
Prince Charles, 71, has tested positive for COVID-19.
A Clarence House spokesperson confirmed the news to Vogue: “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.”
His wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, does tested negative, but is quarantining with her husband. “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 is uncertain where, exactly, 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.”
Noticeably, the Prince seemed to abide by public health guidelines and, during recent appearances, bowed his head slightly in lieu of shaking hands with those he met.
He is the first member of the British royal family to get the disease, and, along with Tom Hanks and Idris Elba, also one of the most high-profile.
The news comes two days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a lockdown in the United Kingdom. Citizens may only leave their house if it is absolutely necessary, such as shopping for essential items or seeking medical care.
Monaco’s royal family, too, has been affected by the disease. On March 19, palace officials said that Prince Albert, the country’s head of state, had the coronavirus, assuring the public the prince “is not worrying at all.”
