Did Queen Elizabeth Leave Buckingham Palace Over Coronavirus Fears?
The royal family is doing its best to keep Queen Elizabeth safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Her Majesty and Prince Philip left Buckingham Palace over the weekend as a precaution against the virus and could remain there until the worst is over. Other members of the royal family have also taken action to limit their exposure amid growing coronavirus fears.
Royal family braces for coronavirus pandemic
With the coronavirus spreading in all parts of the world, the royal family is taking measures to protect its own. Late last week, Clarence House announced that Prince Charles will be delaying his spring trip to Bosnia, Cyprus, and Jordan.
According to The Blast, Charles was scheduled for an eight-day tour of the region alongside his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles. Those plans have since shifted, though it remains unclear if the Prince of Wales will reschedule the trip.
“Owing to the unfolding situation with the Coronavirus pandemic, The British Government has asked Their Royal Highnesses to postpone their spring tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan,” the statement read.
Charles, of course, is not the only member of the royal family whose schedule has seen dramatic changes. Queen Elizabeth has also postponed engagements until the spread of the virus is contained.
There is no telling when the royals will get back to business as usual, but protecting Queen Elizabeth and Charles is the right thing to do. The coronavirus seems to affect elderly populations and those with underlying health issues the most.
An update on Queen Elizabeth’s schedule
As far as Her Majesty is concerned, she had a slew of royal engagements planned in the coming weeks. Most of these events, however, have since been delayed amid the pandemic.
Buckingham Palace recently released a statement on the matter, revealing that Queen Elizabeth’s schedule will be subject to change over the next few weeks. Depending on what happens in that time, it is possible that those changes are extended through the spring.
“As a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances, changes are being made to The Queen’s diary commitments in the coming weeks,” the palace shared.
Officials added that Queen Elizabeth’s upcoming stops in Cheshire and Camden have been canceled. They also noted that Queen Elizabeth will still hold meetings, though appropriate precautions will be put in place to avoid exposure.
Some of these precautions likely include social distancing and limited physical contact. The royals practiced these tactics during the recent Commonwealth Day events, which saw many of them avoiding handshakes.
Queen Elizabeth leaves Buckingham Palace amid coronavirus fears
As another step to protect Queen Elizabeth, she has officially left Buckingham Palace with her husband. According to NY Post, the pair headed to Windsor Castle and are expected to remain there until next week.
An inside source assured royal watchers that Queen Elizabeth is in good spirits and that the move was done to protect her in the event that the coronavirus outbreak gets worse in the UK.
“She is in good health but it was thought best to move her,” an insider dished.
Queen Elizabeth has a higher chance of contracting the virus at Buckingham Palace, which is located in the heart of London and is constantly being visited by guests. In fact, the insider noted that Her Majesty met “a lot of people there” in the past few weeks and that her advisors thought it best to remove her from the situation.
So far, there have been over 1,400 cases of the coronavirus in the UK. The country has reported 21 deaths from the virus. If those numbers increase, there is a strong chance that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will remain at Windsor Castle.
What other events will Queen Elizabeth cancel?
With the coronavirus seemingly getting worse all around the world, there has been some talk about Queen Elizabeth canceling events even further out. This includes her annual Royal Ascot event, which is scheduled for the middle of June.
Queen Elizabeth has never missed the horse-racing festivities, which were started by Queen Anne way back in 1711. But with Her Majesty turning 94 years old next month, going out in public may prove too risky.
Last week, the prime minister of Britain, Boris Johnson, advised anyone over the age of 70 to stay indoors for the next four months. If Queen Elizabeth follows those guidelines, she very well might miss the Royal Ascot.
