Coronavirus: Queen rushed from Buckingham Palace to safer Windsor Castle amid UK's worst day of outbreak
Queen Elizabeth II has been moved out of her home in Buckingham Palace over coronavirus fears after cobra crisis talks, a royal source has revealed. The Queen, 93, and her husband Prince Philip, 98, have been taken to Windsor Castle with plans to quarantine them at Sandringham if the outbreak worsens further.
The news comes after the number confirmed cases of COVID-19 grew to 1,143 in the UK and the kingdom had one of its worst days in the epidemic that saw the death tally almost double overnight to 21.
"She is in good health but it was thought best to move her," a source told the Sun. "A lot of her staff are a bit panicky over coronavirus. The Palace hosts a constant stream of visitors including politicians and dignitaries from around the world. The Queen has met a lot of people there until recently. But she is weeks away from her 94th birthday and advisers believe it is best to get her out of harm's way."
"Buckingham Palace is in the middle of London and also has a bigger staff than other estates so is deemed a much more dangerous location," the source continued. "There have been no specific scares or positive tests there yet but no one wants to take any chances."
The Queen had previously attempted to keep a strong front regarding the outbreak and is said to have vowed to not let the COVID-19 outbreak stop her from performing her duties and to set an example by "keeping calm and carrying on" until there was "compelling advise to the contrary."
Earlier this week, the Queen hosted a palace reception but was spotted wearing gloves and had avoided shaking hands with dignitaries.
But on Friday, the Queen's upcoming visits to the Bentley Motors Factory in Crewe, the Jodrell Bank Observatory and Square Kilometre Array Global Headquarters in Macclesfield, and Camden were postponed because of the pandemic as well.
"As a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances, changes are being made to The Queen's diary commitments in the coming weeks," a spokesman for the Queen confirmed.
"In consultation with the Medical Household and Government, Her Majesty's forthcoming visits to Cheshire and Camden will be rescheduled. Audiences will continue as usual. Other events will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in line with the appropriate advice."
With the pandemic expected to take a few more weeks to peak in the U.K, the Queen has also reportedly been advised to cancel her garden parties in May and June that had, in previous years, attracted as many as 30,000 guests. She may also have to miss the Epsom Derby on June 6.
"Future events will be reviewed on an ongoing basis taking into account the appropriate advice," a palace spokesperson said.