Queen Elizabeth II has Covid-19 and 'mild' symptoms

Queen Elizabeth II on February 5, 2022 in Sandringham – POOL/AFP/Files (Credit: Sandringham – POOL/AFP/Files)

Queen Elizabeth II, 95, has tested positive for Covid-19, but has only “mild” symptoms comparable to a cold, Buckingham Palace announced on Sunday.

The sovereign, who was recently in contact with her son Prince Charles two days before he tested positive for the coronavirus, will only carry out “light duties” in the next week, Buckingham Palace said.

Since meeting her son, the queen has made several public appearances. In particular, he was present in person at a public engagement last Wednesday, welcoming Major General Eldon Millar, responsible for liaison between the Queen and the Armed Forces, and his predecessor, Rear Admiral James Macleod, at Windsor Castle. , forty kilometers from London, the sovereign’s main residence.

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In the images of the meeting, the queen appears welcoming the two soldiers, standing, smiling, wearing a printed dress, with a cane in her hands. “As you can see, I can’t get around,” she said, pointing to her left foot or leg.

This appearance by the queen served as a reassuring sign about her state of health, after she spent a night in hospital in the autumn for check-ups, the nature of which was never made clear.

On Tuesday, she received by videoconference the new ambassadors of Estonia and Spain.

– 70 years of reign –

The 73-year-old Prince Charles’ team announced on February 10 that the heir to the British crown had tested positive for Covid – for the second time – and that he was in isolation. He found his mother 48 hours earlier.

The monarch’s entourage then indicated that she had no symptoms, without saying whether she had tested positive or negative, fueling concern.

On Monday, February 14, Camilla, 74, and wife of Prince Charles, announced that she had also contracted Covid.

Queen Elizabeth celebrated 70 years of reign on February 6, unprecedented longevity for the British monarchy. Four days of festivities are planned to celebrate its platinum jubilee.

Since her ill health in October, her appearances have become rare, but the palace recently announced the resumption of its public activities: before a ceremony on 29 March at Westminster Abbey in memory of Prince Philip, her late husband, the Queen must attend a diplomatic reception in Windsor on 2 March and a Commonwealth ceremony on 14 March.