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Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for coronavirus, becoming one of the most prominent leaders to become infected, according to The New York Times.
Buckingham Palace released few details about the 95-year-old British monarch, who marked 70 years on the throne earlier this month.
“Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid,” the palace said in a statement on Sunday.
“Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week,” the statement said. “She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.”
The Queen isn’t the only person in her circle to test positive for COVID-19, according to CNN.
“A number of cases have been diagnosed in the Windsor Castle team,” a royal source told the news outlet on Sunday, without disclosing who else tested positive or additional details.
On Feb. 8, she met with her son Prince Charles, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Feb. 10 and went into isolation, the newspaper reported, followed by his wife Camilla on Feb. 14. Charles first tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020 and has since been fully vaccinated and boosted.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson also contracted COVID-19 early in the pandemic and spent three days in an intensive care unit, the newspaper reported. On Sunday, Johnson was among the first to express support.
“I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health,” he wrote in a post on Twitter.
In an effort to avoid exposure to the coronavirus, Queen Elizabeth went to Windsor Castle in early 2020 with her husband Prince Philip. They lived in virtual quarantine for more than a year, the newspaper reported.
They both received a COVID-19 vaccine dose in January 2021 at Windsor Castle. Buckingham Palace hasn’t confirmed any subsequent doses, although U.K. media outlets have reported that Queen Elizabeth is fully vaccinated, CNN reported. Prince Philip died in April 2021 at age 99, and Elizabeth isolated herself during his funeral service.
In recent weeks, the queen began appearing in public again after canceling several engagements in the fall on doctors’ orders to rest, the newspaper reported. Her frailty has deepened concerns about her risk for coronavirus exposure.
Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to attend several in-person public events in the coming weeks, according to The Associated Press, including a diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle on March 2, the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14, and a remembrance service for Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey on March 29.
Public celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee are scheduled for June. Festivities include a military parade, a day of horse racing, and neighborhood parties slated for the first weekend of the month.
Sources:
The New York Times: “Queen Elizabeth Tests Positive for the Coronavirus.”
CNN: “Britain’s Queen Elizabeth tests positive for Covid-19.”
Twitter: @BorisJohnson, Feb. 20, 2022.
The Associated Press: “Queen Elizabeth II tests positive for COVID; mild symptoms.”
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