Queen Elizabeth II, 95, was confirmed on Sunday to have tested positive for COVID-19, with light “cold-like” symptoms.
COVID-19 has been going through the Royal family, despite everyone having been triple-vaccinated as soon as the doses were available. Earlier this month, Prince Charles (74) and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (74) were both diagnosed, but both have been cleared since then and Charles has returned to work. This is Charles’s second time contracting the disease. He was infected during the first wave in March of 2020.
There are also rumors of several cases of COVID-19 among the Windsor castle staff, where all three Royals have been staying through most of the pandemic.
On February 6th, a gun salute was fired in London and Edinburgh to mark the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne. She is the longest reigning monarch in England’s history, beating Queen Victoria’s 63 years and George III’s 59 years. She was only 25 years old when her father, King George VI passed away, leaving her to be crowned Queen.
It has been a touchy few months for the aged queen’s health, bad enough that premature rumors of her passing have been circulating nonstop. In October, she began to use a cane for the first time, and also spent a night in a hospital in London for tests (of an unspecified sort). Until only recently, she’s followed doctors’ orders to stick to light duty and get plenty of rest. In the beginning of February, she returned to public duties. Since then, she’s held audiences in person with diplomats, politicians, and other officials, but since Sunday’s diagnosis, she’s been back to only light duty.
On Tuesday, she had “decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but [would] continue with light duties,” according to a palace spokesperson. Her symptoms have been described only as mild and cold-like.
Photo: Cubankite / Shutterstock
