Does the Queen have Covid? Palace refuses to share after Camilla, Charles test positive
Clarence House confirmed that both Prince Charles and Camilla have tested positive for Covid-19, and are now isolating together. Charles tested positive on February 10, and Camilla days later. Both are reportedly showing no symptoms, having been triple vaccinated. However, there is now a mounting concern for the Queen, given that she met Charles on February 8, while he was at Windsor Castle to conduct an investiture ceremony on her behalf.
Since the Covid-19 outbreak, the Royal Family has greatly changed the way it lives and works, given the high risk the Queen, Charles, and Camilla are at. In March 2020, Charles first tested positive for the virus but did not require hospitalization. While isolating at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, he called the experience "strange, frustrating, and often distressing." Once again though, he has to go through the routine, but at least he'll have Camilla for company this time.
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So far, the Queen hasn't tested positive for the virus, thanks to extreme measures the Palace has taken. Early on, she moved to Windsor Castle and has been living there since with a "small bubble" of staff. However, since both Charles and Camilla have tested positive, questions are being raised about the effectiveness of the bubble at Windsor Castle, with no word yet from her staff.
Does the Queen have Covid?
In recent months, the Palace has become extremely silent over the 95-year-old Monarch's health. We do know that she did suffer some health issues recently, leading the Palace to announce a "paced" return to public life. But beyond that, they've cited the right to medical privacy as a reason for refusing to give more details. The Palace did confirm that the Queen did not have any symptoms of the virus, but said it would "not be providing a running commentary" on her health.
All three senior Royals are triple vaccinated, so it appears there's not much cause for concern. Both Charles and Camilla tested positive after public engagements, where they were seen maskless under Britain's new Covid-19 rules. The Prince of Wales met the Queen on February 8 for the first time since Christmas Day and was believed to be in direct contact with her. It's unclear if and when Camilla was last in direct contact with the Queen.
On February 9, a day after Charles met the Queen, he and Camilla attended a British Asian Trust reception at the British Museum. There, the couple rubbed shoulders with over 350 guests, including Chancellor Rishi Sunak. After that, they split up with Charles going to Winchester and Camilla to Bath, where he tested positive via a lateral flow test. As per protocol, all members of the Royal Family undergo lateral flow tests before public engagements.
It's unclear where Charles and Camilla are now isolating, but we can be sure that they are in good health. As for the Queen, we may never really know, with the Palace hoping to keep a lid on any rumors of her ill-health in light of her upcoming platinum jubilee celebrations. She is expected to return temporarily to Buckingham Palace over the summer for the celebrations, which include a birthday parade in London.
