LONDON (Bywire News) - Time was that the news that the Queen had tested positive for COVID-19 would have sent shivers through the country. In those early days when COVID-19 felt like a death sentence for elderly and vulnerable patients. The idea that the monarch – who is pushing onto the moment when she has to send a telegram to herself – might catch COVID was a very real concern.
Today, though, the talk is somewhat calmer. According to a statement from the Palace: “Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week.”
The statement states that she will continue to receive treatment and be closely observed over the next few days.
The news comes as the Queen was returning to public life after keeping a low profile in recent months. She skipped the COP26 summit in Glasgow following doctors’ orders to rest and also pulled out of the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph with what was described as a ‘sprained back’.
She had also spent the night in hospital for the first time in years in October for what the Palace described as ‘preliminary investigations’.
Speculation had continued to mount over the Queen’s condition. On Feb 16th the Queen joked about her condition joking that ‘I can’t move’ as she greeted guests after her son Charles had tested positive for COVID a few days earlier.
A royal source said at the time that she was using a cane for comfort rather than any specific health problem. Even so, given how reticent the Palace can be concerning the health of royals, rumours will abound about exactly how serious COVID is.
For now, much of the details remain uncertain. We can only assume that she is tripled vaccinated and as such has a level of protection against the disease. There is also no reason to believe that she caught the virus from Charles after his recent visit.
Nevertheless, it’s another interruption to a Jubilee year that had already been overshadowed by scandals engulfing her sons Charles and Andrew. Andrew’s, decision to settle with a woman who had accused him of sexual assault, threw the Royal family into its biggest crisis in living memory. The Queen herself came under scrutiny when it emerged the deal included a stipulation gagging her from talking about the allegations until after the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations had come to an end.
The Prince of Wales meanwhile, continues to be dogged by scandal as it emerged the police had announced an investigation into the cash for honours scandal engulfing the Prince’s foundation.
The probe comes after the former chief executive of the Foundation, Michael Fawcett, stepped down last year amidst accusations that he had promised to secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a Saudi donor. The Prince insists he knew nothing about the alleged actions and is happy to help facilitate the police investigation.
(Writing by Tom Cropper, editing by Klaudia Fior)