Buckingham Palace Releases Verdict on Queen's COVID Recovery as Tensions Rage Across Europe
Followers of the British royal family were disheartened to hear that Queen Elizabeth II had tested positive for COVID on Feb. 20.
The queen, 95, had just celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne, when she was confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus.
“Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for COVID,” a spokesperson said at the time, according to People. “Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like 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.”
Though it has not been confirmed how the queen caught the virus, Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, also had tested positive for COVID on Feb. 10, two days after meeting with her majesty.
The queen reportedly is fully vaccinated, and Charles and Camilla are triple vaccinated.
Over the next week, many of the queen’s normal duties were canceled, though she still held a weekly call with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
According to the Daily Mail, the queen on Sunday met with family at Frogmore, a spot on the Windsor estate, to enjoy the lovely weather. Prince William, Duchess Kate and their three children were present, as were Princess Beatrice and Beatrice’s baby, Sienna.
Many took the news as a hopeful sign that the queen was on the mend, and this week her recovery was made official.
On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace confirmed Queen Elizabeth is back and performing her regular duties, according to Harper’s Bazaar.
On Tuesday, for the first time since testing positive, she attended two 15- to 20-minute video calls to meet new ambassadors from the principality of Andorra and the Republic of Chad.
Prince Charles also said during a trip to Southend-on-Sea that the queen was doing “much better” and had experienced mild, cold-like symptoms.
Queen Elizabeth’s recovery is a small bright spot in a tumultuous time, a fact that Prince Charles acknowledged in an address he delivered while attending a tribute for David Amess, a British politician who was stabbed to death last year.
“What we saw in the terrible tragedy in Southend was an attack on democracy, on an open society, on freedom itself,” Charles said.
“We are seeing those same values under attack today in Ukraine in the most unconscionable way. In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression.”
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
