Prince Charles Met The Queen Less Than 48 Hours Before Second COVID-19 Diagnosis
Royal sources say he's not displaying any symptoms but is being closely monitored.
Photo: Samir Hussein/Getty Images
Prince Charles met with Queen Elizabeth just two days before testing positive for COVID-19, a senior royal source confirms to BAZAAR.com.
On February 10, a spokesman for the Prince of Wales confirmed that the royal tested positive for the coronavirus—his second time with the illness—after a routine test before leaving for a day of engagements.
He is believed to have met with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at Windsor Castle on February 8. A royal source says the monarch is not currently displaying any symptoms and “will continue to be monitored.” (A representative wouldn't provide comment on when the queen received her vaccination booster shot.)
Today, Charles was due to unveil a statue of a Jewish businesswoman and meet with members of the Jewish community in Winchester, England, and was “deeply disappointed” not to be able to attend after testing positive, a Clarence House spokesman tells BAZAAR. More than 1,000 people had gathered to catch a glimpse of the senior royal in the city’s Jewry Street.
Though Charles is now self-isolating, he attended a number of events and appointments this week. On Wednesday evening, he and wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, attended a black-tie function for the British Asian Trust in London alongside dignitaries including British Health Secretary Sajid Javid. Earlier in the day, Charles carried out investitures in Windsor.
Related article: The Queen Expresses “Sincere Wish” For Camilla To Become Queen When Charles Becomes King
Camilla tested negative for the virus before attending two engagements on Thursday. At a sexual assault referral center in West London, she told staff that her husband found it “a bit tiresome” to have tested positive for coronavirus again. And during a visit to the Nourish Hub community kitchen, she spoke for the first time about the queen's recent message asking the public to welcome her as a future Queen Consort, saying she was “very touched” and “very, very honoured.”
Charles—who received his booster vaccine last December—was one of the first high-profile cases at the start of pandemic, revealing in March 2020 that he had tested positive and was suffering from “mild symptoms.” Since then, Charles has regularly advocated for the vaccine, encouraging people to get their shots.
“We can only urge you to look at the evidence in our intensive care wards,” Charles and Camilla said in a December 8 statement to mark the anniversary of the first COVID vaccination. “People who are unvaccinated are at least 10 times more likely to be hospitalized or die than those who have had two vaccine doses.”
This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US
Related article: Prince William Approves Of His Stepmother, Camilla, Becoming Queen