Prince Charles: Positive Covid test date, when he last saw the Queen and is Camilla isolating

The Duchess of Cornwall has tested positive for Covid, Clarence House has announced.

Camilla, 74, caught the virus for the first time just days after the Prince of Wales contracted the illness for a second time.

The announcement about the Prince of Wales was made just minutes before a planned event he was due to attend in Winchester on Thursday.

When did Camilla test positive?

A Clarence House spokesman said: “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating.

“We continue to follow government guidelines.”

Camilla is triple vaccinated, sources said.

Clarence House declined to confirm how Camilla was feeling or whether the prince and the duchess were isolating together on Valentine’s Day.

The duchess carried out a string of engagements last Thursday – the day Charles tested positive.

Camilla was mask-free when she met dozens of people on a visit to the Nourish Hub community kitchen in Notting Hill on February 10, where she joined a cooking demonstration.

Camilla did wear a mask for some of her visit to Paddington Haven, a sexual assault referral centre in west London, the same day.

According to government guidelines, when the prince tested positive, the duchess was not required to self isolate because she was fully vaccinated.

She has followed recommendations to begin taking lateral flow tests every day for seven days, in keeping with the rules.

On Monday morning, Clarence House alerted the organisations Camilla visited and the media who covered her engagements.

It is understood the charities have begun the process of contacting the scores of people who were in close contact with the duchess.

When did Charles test positive?

A message on the prince’s official Twitter page on Thursday read: “This morning The Prince of Wales has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now self-isolating.

“HRH is deeply disappointed not to be able to attend today’s events in Winchester and will look to reschedule his visit as soon as possible.”

Clarence House confirmed the prince is triple vaccinated, but is yet to confirm whether he has been in physical contact with the Queen recently.

Clarence House said Camilla had a negative test on Thursday, and she carried on with her engagements for the day.

The announcement of the prince’s positive test was made just after midday, around 12 minutes before Charles was due to arrive in Winchester on a visit to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Aides were only informed a few moments before.

More than 1,000 people were gathered behind barriers in the city’s Jewry Street, waiting to see the prince unveil a new statue of Licoricia of Winchester, a prominent Jewish moneylender who was murdered in 1277 during a period of antisemitism in the reign of Edward I that culminated in the expulsion of Jews from England in 1290.

The Queen’s representative in Hampshire, the Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson, told the crowd, who groaned with disappointment when he relayed the news.

Does the prince have symptoms?

The prince, 73, took a routine test and is not thought to be showing serious symptoms.

When he first contracted the virus in March 2020 he had mild symptoms and lost his sense of smell and taste.

He will now need to self-isolate under current rules for 10 full days, but he could be free after five days if he tests negative on day five and day six.

On a solo visit to the Thames Valley Partnership in Buckinghamshire, the Duchess of Cornwall said she was lucky not to be positive herself.

Speaking to Willie Hartley Russell, high sheriff for Berkshire, during the visit on Thursday, she said: “He’s diagnosed now. Luckily (she’s negative). I’ve taken it so many times.”

Mr Hartley Russell said: “It gets a bit pointless, doesn’t it?” and Camilla agreed.

Speaking to the PA news agency afterwards, he added: “She said, ‘Yes, unfortunately he had tested positive again. I said he must be building up lots of antibodies.

“She said something like he’s finding it a bit tiresome to have got it again, but she said it in a light-hearted way.”

Had Prince Charles been in contact with the Queen?

The 95-year-old monarch is believed to have spent time with her son on Tuesday when he was carrying out an investiture on her behalf at her Windsor Castle home.

The Queen is not displaying any symptoms, but Buckingham Palace refused to confirm whether she had tested positive or negative, citing medical privacy.

A Palace source said the situation will continue to be monitored but a running commentary would not be provided on the Queen’s health.

People who develop coronavirus symptoms are asked to notify those they have been in contact with in the previous 48 hours.

The Queen is understood to be fully vaccinated so will not need to self-isolate unless she tests positive.

But she will be advised to take a rapid lateral flow test each day for seven days.

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said: “Given the fact that the Queen saw her son and heir less than 48 hours before he was confirmed to have Covid for a second time, there is inevitably a huge level of concern for the monarch, given her age above everything else.

“Clearly, a very close eye will be kept on Her Majesty in the coming days to see that nothing is amiss.”

Who else was he in contact with?

Charles was in close contact with Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Home Secretary Priti Patel, former Liverpool footballer Ian Rush and scores of others when he joined Camilla at a British Asian Trust reception on Wednesday evening.

The announcement of the prince’s positive test was made just after midday on Thursday.

What has Downing Street said?

Downing Street said Boris Johnson hopes the Prince of Wales will make a swift recovery after he tested positive for Covid-19.

A No 10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister would like to wish the Prince of Wales a speedy recovery.”

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