Prince said to have mild symptoms after testing positive for coronavirus
LONDON— Prince Charles, the Queen’s eldest son and heir to the throne, has contracted the coronavirus, Buckingham Palace said Wednesday, adding that he had been suffering from mild symptoms since last weekend.
Medical advisers said that Charles was otherwise in good health and that they did not expect the virus to develop into a more serious illness, according to an official at the palace. But Charles, 71, met with the Queen on March12 — only a day before the advisers said it was possible that he became infectious with the virus.
The prince’s illness, and his potential exposure to the Queen and other members of the Royal Family, rattled an already nervous Britain, which has seen the number of cases and deaths accelerate rapidly over the past few days, prompting Prime Minister Boris Johnson to put the country into a virtual lockdown.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen, who turns 94 next month, “remains in good health.” She sequestered herself in Windsor Castle last week with her husband, Prince Philip, 98, saying that she and her family would follow the social distancing guidelines set out by the government.
Charles, the Prince of Wales, was tested by the National Health Service in Scotland on Monday, according to a palace official. He received a positive result the next day and is recuperating at Birkhall, a cottage on the grounds of Balmoral, the Queen’s Scottish residence. He is isolated from his wife and staff, the official said.
“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 palace said in a statement. It added that his wife, Camilla, “has also been tested but does not have the virus.”
The description of Charles’s symptoms as mild raised questions about whether he was granted preferential treatment in being tested for the virus. The guidelines for the National Health Service in Scotland say that people will generally be tested only “if you have a serious illness that requires admission to the hospital.” The palace said Charles and his wife “met the criteria required for testing.”
The sharp restrictions on testing have become a charged issue in Britain, with medical experts warning that unless it is ramped up quickly, the country will squander the advantages of the 21-day lockdown now in place. Britain had reported 8,077 cases of the virus and 422 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon.
The timing of the prince’s meetings with other royals, especially the Queen, is also likely to draw scrutiny. On March 10, Charles sat across a table from Prince Albert II of Monaco, who nine days later tested positive for the virus. On March 12, officials said Charles had his last meeting with the Queen.