In the midst of a trying time for the British government, and coming just a week after a stunning settlement on behalf of Prince Andrew’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, another shock wave has hit the British Isles: Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for Covid-19.
The queen, who will turn 96 in April, has entered into an elite group of world leaders who have come down with the virus during the pandemic’s two-year-long grip.
“Buckingham Palace confirm that the queen has today tested positive for Covid,” the palace said in a statement published Sunday, 20 Feb. “Her Majesty is experiencing mild, coldlike symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.”
Having served as queen for seven decades, the positive test result comes at a tumultuous time for the British government and the royal family.
This month, the queen met with Prince Charles, her eldest child and heir to the throne, who had recently recontracted a case of COVID-19.
Throughout the pandemic, Buckingham Palace went to great lengths to protect the queen from possible infection. In early 2020, Queen Elizabeth had retired to Windsor Castle with Prince Philip, where they quarantined for nearly a year.
Prince Philip, however, later died in April 2021 at 99 years old. Given the state of the pandemic, the queen had to isolate herself during her husband’s funeral service.
Later, this past fall, the queen had canceled a slew of public appearances due to what was described as exhaustion. Rumors rose about the queen’s wellbeing given her absence from the public eye. Given also her advanced age, 95, many worried that perhaps the queen’s condition was worse than Palace officials led on.
As it stands, the conditions of the queen’s contraction of the virus remain unclear. However, Prince Charles met with the Queen at her residence in Windsor Castle on Feb. 8 for an investiture ceremony. Charles later received word that he had tested positive on Feb. 10.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is set to remove the remaining COVID restrictions in the UK today, has recently seen his administration and his premiership suffer a scandal due to a garden party held on 15 May, 2020.
As news awaits of the queen’s situation, the U.K. is set to enter a new phase of the pandemic, both rattled by scandal amongst its premier’s cabinet and by news of its queen’s infection.
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