Is Prince Charles Okay? Future King In Isolation After Coronavirus Diagnosis
The 71-year old heir to the throne announced his diagnosis on Wednesday.
Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne has become the latest high-profile person to test positive for the novel coronavirus. Charles, who is 71 years old, is in a high-risk group due to his age, sparking concerns for his health and the health of everyone around him.
At this time, he seems to be doing quite well and is quarantining himself at Birkhall in Scotland. He and his wife Camilla have been there since Sunday and they expect to remain at their home until the danger of spreading the virus has passed. He is not confined to his bed so he is able to do work from home.
The Prince's last public event was on March 12th but he has been traveling and working since then so he has been in contact with others. They are all being alerted to the situation and asked to take the necessary precautions. But questions remain about what danger Prince Charlse's diagnosis presents to his mother Queen Elizabeth. They were together on March 12 and Britons are wondering if her health is now at risk.
Is Prince Charles okay? Read on for all the details.
His official statement about his health sounds promising.
So far, the Prince seems to be on the less severe end of the spectrum of this virus. Many of the people who become infected never even realize they have the new disease since the symptoms can be so minor. The official statement from Clarence House implies that Prince Charles is one of those cases. “He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health," his spokesman told the press. "And has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual."
The Prince and his wife Duchess Camilla on St. Patrick's Day.
Is this another case of a wealthy person getting to the front of the line for testing?
In the US, there have been questions about who gets tested, given the low availability of tests in local hospitals and doctors' offices. At one point, Utah residents were shocked to find out that the Utah Jazz basketball team had gotten tested but critically ill patients in hospitals were being forced to wait. But it doesn't seem like Prince Charles bumped the line in England. In fact, his statement indicated that he was tested at a National Health Service facility, the type of clinic that is open to all residents o the UK when they need medical care of any kind.
Where did he catch the virus?
The whole job description of royals in Britain is to do public events and the Prince has been working as usual these past few weeks. He changed how he greeted people, using a steepled hands gesture along with an emphatic head nod, instead of more traditional handshakes but the travel and exposure to other people still put him at risk for coming in contact with the virus. His spokesman wouldn't place blame on any one situation saying, "It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.”
Could he infect the Queen?
One big worry in England is whether or not Prince Charles could have infected his mother, Queen Elizabeth, with the virus. At 93 years old, she is at high-risk for complications due to the illness. She has been taking precautions herself these past few weeks, donning gloves to interact with people and moving from Buckingham Palace in London to the more remote Windsor Castle last week. She and her son and heir were last together on March 12, and the Prince's people are quick to say that he probably wasn't contagious until March 13. The palace also assured the public that the Queen is doing well, saying “Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health. The Queen last saw the Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on morning of the 12th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare,” said a palace spokesman.
What about Princes William and Harry and their families?
While Prince Charles recuperates in Scotland, he has been in touch with his sons William and Harry, according to statements. William is in Norfolk with his wife Katherine and their three children. It's not clear when they were last in close contact with Prince Charles. Harry and Meghan and baby Archie have been in Canada for the last few weeks, so they are well beyond the 6-foot distance doctors have been recommending to prevent person-to-person spread of the virus. Neither of Prince Charles's sons has issued official statements about their father as of this writing.
What happens to Prince Charles now?
For the moment, the Prince will stay in Scotland along with his wife, Camilla. She has also been tested but does not have have the virus, according to the most recent reports. Staff who work with Prince Charles are expected to isolate themselves at home to prevent any further spread of the virus but so far there is no news about anyone on the Prince's staff testing positive.
The UK has reported over 8,000 cases of the coronavirus and over 400 deaths so far.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. She is the creator of the blog FeminXer and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.