Prince ‘enormously touched’ by kind words during his self-isolation

The Prince of Wales has thanked the public for the hundreds of get well messages he has received, the day after it was revealed he has tested positive for coronavirus.

Heir to the throne Charles, who is back at his desk working, was said to be “enormously touched” by well-wishers’ kind words.

Charles is conducting meetings by phone as he recovers from the virus and is mirroring other members of the Royal Family who are using a combination of video conferencing and calls to carry out royal duties.

Clarence House tweeted: “Thank you for all your ‘Get Well Soon’ messages for His Royal Highness.

“He is enormously touched by your kind words.”

Scotland’s chief medical officer has again defended the decision to test the heir to the throne for coronavirus, saying there were “very good reasons” behind the move.

Charles is self-isolating at his Scottish home Birkhall, in Aberdeenshire, while his wife the Duchess of Cornwall is living separately from her husband in the property after she tested negative for Covid-19.

A Clarence House spokesman declined to give a update on Charles’ health status after it was announced on Wednesday he had tested positive for coronavirus.

But he said the prince was working at his desk as usual and had received hundreds of “get well soon” wishes sent to him at Clarence House – a mixture of cards, but mostly digital messages.

A source said it was “business as usual” for the prince, adding: “The general plan is the prince will continue maintaining a diary of work but it will be done through telephone calls and digital conferencing.

“He is likely to focus on core areas – his Sustainable Markets Council work for the environment, his Prince’s Foundation and Prince’s Trust work.”

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Dr Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s chief medical officer, said: “I have spoken to the team in Grampian who were looking after the individual.

“My understanding is there were very good reasons for that person and his wife to be tested, and obviously I wouldn’t be able to disclose anything else that I know because of patient confidentiality.”

Some medical workers who are self-isolating have been unable to get tested to see if they were clear to come back to work.

Both Charles, 71, and Camilla, 72, were tested on Monday.