Prince Charles has tested positive for the coronavirus, it has been revealed today.
The Prince of Wales, 71, is currently in self-isolation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
Charles has tested positive just two weeks after meeting Prince Albert of Monaco, who also tested positive. The two monarchs attended a WaterAid event in London on March 10.
A Clarence House spokesman said: "The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual."
The statement added: "The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland."
Prince Charles held a number of public engagements in recent weeks, and it is not clear where he contracted the virus from.
The news comes just days after a staff member of Buckingham Palace also tested positive.
The Queen last saw her son on 12 March, Buckingham Palace has said, and at the moment she "remains in good health".
The Queen "is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare," the statement confirmed.
The news comes days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced much tighter coronavirus restrictions to enforce social distancing rules.
Johnson announced that people should stay at home and would only be allowed to leave for these specific reasons:
- Shopping for "basic necessities", as infrequently as possible
- Medical reasons, to provide care, or to help a vulnerable person
- Travelling to and from work, but only if it is "absolutely necessary"
The prime minister added that people should not meet friends or family members who do not live with them for at least the next three weeks.
In addition, all shops not selling "essential goods" - including clothes, electronics, and sports goods stores - should be closed immediately.
Libraries, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and places of worship should also close, and gatherings of more than two people, excluding people who live together, will be banned.
In the announcement it was also confirmed that there would be no weddings or baptisms allowed, but funerals would be allowed to continue. People were also told that they should only go out to exercise once a day and at all times maintain a 2m distance between others, and not gather in groups at all while out.
Police have said that they will look to strictly enforce the new social distancing rules, but will try and explain to people why it is so important they do so in the first instance. However, they would not hesitate to enforce the rules by dispersing groups and issuing fines where necessary.
