Was William right to keep his infection secret?
THE Duke of Cambridge should have made his coronavirus diagnosis public once he had recovered, a royal commentator has suggested.
Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said William’s decision to keep his positive Covid-19 test a secret in April was “a retrograde step” in transparency.
The news has only just emerged seven months later, with news that the duke ‘did not want to alarm the nation’.
It is understood he followed guidance on isolation and other measures when a person tests positive, and appears to have made a full recovery.
Royal expert Mr Little said: “Was it wise on the part of Kensington Palace to suppress it?
“I suppose you could say it was done with the best of intentions. But, with the benefit of hindsight, I suppose it is questionable.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was being treated in intensive care in a London hospital in April after contracting coronavirus, while William’s father, the Prince of Wales, had been in quarantine after catching the disease in March.
William told one observer at an engagement: “There were important things going on and I didn’t want to worry anyone.”
Downing Street declined to comment on whether Mr Johnson was aware the duke had tested positive in April.
The Sun reported that William, who carried on with telephone and online engagements, was treated by doctors as he isolated in Norfolk but he was hit “pretty hard” by the virus and at one stage struggled to breathe.
Mr Little suggested: “I think, with the benefit of hindsight, it would have been sensible once he was fully recovered to say ‘Well, look, I’ve had it, but I’m OK now’.
“We could have found out at the end of April rather than in November. It’s inevitable these things get out in the end.”
He added: “Is it the biggest of deals? I’m not sure it necessarily is but it kind of makes you wonder what else is being suppressed?
“It’s all about transparency these days and this is a retrograde step.”