Coronavirus in the Royals: Queen Elizabeth II Tests Positive

Buckingham Palace announced on February 20 that Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for the coronavirus. The Queen’s diagnosis came days after she completed her first in-person engagement since returning to Windsor from Sandringham where she had marked the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

The Queen is scheduled to appear in a series of major events for the next few weeks, including a diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle on March 2, the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14, and a service of thanksgiving for Prince Philip at the same venue on March 29. However, this sudden strike of the coronavirus puts her attendance in doubt.

A statement from the Palace following the confirmation of the Queen’s positive result says: “Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.”

UK media have reported that the Queen is fully vaccinated. Buckingham Palace previously confirmed both the monarch and her late husband, Prince Philip, had received their first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in January 2021. But the palace has declined to reveal any information about subsequent vaccinations, citing medical privacy.

“Since the queen was healthy for most of her reign- I think I even saw her riding a horse in 2020- she will probably recover soon.” Said Joshua K., a freshman at AISG.

“A number of cases have been diagnosed in the Windsor Castle team,” the source told CNN, without specifying who else had tested positive. Prior to the Queen’s infection of the coronavirus, Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time 10 days ago while his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, confirmed she too had the virus on Monday.

“I hope she (Queen Elizabeth II) recovers soon!” Said Tom L., a freshman in AISG. “One of the ways we see the British Crown is through the queen, and if she doesn’t recover, the crown simply won’t be complete.”

Despite her illness, the queen still sent Great Britain’s Olympic team a warm congratulation on February 20. Her statement read: “I send my warmest congratulations to the Great Britain Women’s Curling team on your outstanding performance in winning the Gold Medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, following the Silver Medal achieved by the Men’s Curling team yesterday…”

Hopefully, Queen Elizabeth II will soon recover from this coronavirus infection, and continue to create England’s royal history.