Prince Charles has coronavirus: Palace confirms 71-year-old future king has tested positive and is self-isolating at Balmoral two weeks after meeting with Monaco’s Prince Albert who has killer bug – but Camilla has tested negative for illness
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Prince Charles has contracted coronavirus – but his wife Camilla has not tested positive, it was revealed today.
The Prince of Wales, 71, is in self-isolation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with the Duchess of Cornwall, who is without any symptoms for the virus, which has killed 422 in the UK so far.
Charles has fallen ill just a fortnight after meeting coronavirus-stricken Prince Albert of Monaco, who tested positive after he sat opposite the Prince of Wales at a WaterAid event in London on March 10, 24 hours after he was last seen in public with his mother.
He was last at Buckingham Palace on March 12 for investitures, and his illness will raise fears for the health for elderly royals including the Queen and Prince Philip, who are together at Windsor Castle.
Until he fell ill, the heir to the throne has been continuing to carry out public engagements despite the coronavirus crisis – but has avoided shaking hands, instead using a namaste gesture.
But despite avoiding close contact with people he has caught Covid-19 – and it came days after a member of Buckingham Palace staff tested positive for coronavirus.
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 at the Prince’s Trust Awards 2020 on March 11
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 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 he got it from Albert.
The Royal Family appeared to have already prepared for the eventuality that one of them could be diagnosed with coronavirus, having been split up across Britain – away from London.
The Queen is with Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, Prince William and Kate are at Amner Hall in Norfolk, and Charles and Camilla are at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire.
Charles’s last public engagement was on March 12, but he did have a number of private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy individuals, all of whom have been made aware.
A source said his doctor’s most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious on March 13.
They added that Charles has not seen the Queen since before March 13.
A small number of people living and working at Birkhall are remaining at the residence and self-isolating.
The source said the prince and the duchess remained in good spirits, and the prince was up and about and not bedridden.
Medical advice 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.