... As Queen and Philip get the jab
THE QUEEN and Prince Philip have received their Covid-19 vaccinations – and have publicised the fact to boost uptake and help finally turn the tide in the battle against the deadly pandemic.
Her Majesty, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, received the injections at Windsor Castle from a doctor in the royal household.
To avoid any allegations of special treatment, the couple had the first of the two jabs only when it became available in the local area.
The same principle of fairness will apply to the second injection, which they are expected to receive in a few weeks’ time.
Buckingham Palace declined to specify whether they received the Oxford or the Pfizer vaccine – to avoid giving the impression of favouring one over the other – although well-placed sources said it was a ‘reasonable assumption’ that they had been given the one developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
The Mail on Sunday revealed last
‘Delighted Her Majesty has had the vaccine’
month that the Queen was about to receive the vaccine, and was expected to acknowledge the fact in order to encourage her subjects to follow suit.
Senior Whitehall officials were keen for her to help to rally the nation behind the vaccine programme, despite the traditional reluctance of courtiers to release private medical information.
The Queen has made an exception to the principle before, when she let it be known in 1957 that Prince Charles and Princess Anne had been given polio jabs: then, as now, fears about the safety of the injections had threatened the level of take-up.
Both royals accepted the offer on the advice of their doctors and did not suffer any side-effects.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock was quick to publicly congratulate the couple yesterday, writing on Twitter: ‘I’m delighted that Her Majesty the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh have received their Covid vaccine. We are defeating this virus jab by jab.’
While they wait for their second dose, the so-called HMS Bubble – the protective shield around the
Queen and Philip created by staff isolating and being tested to ensure they are Covid-free – will still be maintained. A Buckingham Palace source said that the Queen had decided the information about her vaccine should be made public to prevent ‘further speculation’.
A spokesman said simply: ‘The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have today received the Covid-19 vaccination.’ The Queen and Philip, who turns 100 in June, are spending the current lockdown at the castle after deciding to forgo the traditional royal family gathering at Sandringham.
Discussions have also been held about the potential roles that could be played by Prince Charles and Prince William in publicising the vaccination programme. The
Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge both contracted coronavirus during the first wave of the deadly pandemic.
Charles was described as having mild symptoms and lost his sense of taste and smell for a period, while it was reported William was hit ‘pretty hard’ by the virus. Both princes have indicated they will be vaccinated – although 71-year-old
Charles said on a visit to a vaccination centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital shortly before Christmas that he was ‘way down the list’ for an inoculation.
Because the royals will be offered the vaccine at the same time as others in their age groups, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are unlikely to be vaccinated until later this year, when those in their 30s are expected to be invited for jabs.
William closely following the progress of the Oxford vaccine, visiting the research laboratory in June and publicly congratulated it on its success. On Friday, a third coronavirus vaccine, made by US company Moderna, was approved for use in the UK.
Royal historian Hugo Vickers commended the Queen and Duke’s decision to make yesterday’s inoculations public. He said: ‘They are setting an example and leading the way. This is what they have always done. If anyone had any doubts over getting vaccinated, now people will say, “Well, if the Queen has had it, I will too”.’