Two weeks after marking 70 years as queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth was found to be positive for the COVID-19 virus on Sunday.
Although the 95-year-old queen is completely protected against coronavirus, she recently teased the Palace employees that she couldn’t move much and had spent a night in the hospital in October with an unknown illness.
The Palace announced today that the Queen has tested positive for COVID. Although the Queen has a minor cold, she plans to perform modest responsibilities at Windsor during the next week, according to a spokesperson.
“She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all appropriate guidelines,” the Palace said.
COVID-19 recurrence forced the 73-year-old heir to the throne to withdraw from an event earlier this month. An insider at Buckingham Palace said that the prince and his entourage had visited with the queen only days before.
As the oldest queen in the world, Queen Elizabeth discreetly commemorated the anniversary of her coronation in early February.
After the death of her father King George VI on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth became queen of the United Kingdom and over a dozen other kingdoms, including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. She was in Kenya at the time, on an international tour.
For the first time, a British monarch has ruled for seven decades in a dynasty that dates back around 1,000 years to the Norman invasion of England by King William I in 1066.
Because she ruled for such a long time, Queen Elizabeth II was able to keep Britain’s monarchy relevant in the face of enormous political, social, and cultural change.
Mao Zedong, Stalin, and Harry Truman were in power when Elizabeth became queen; Winston Churchill was the British prime minister and Churchill had served as a cabinet minister.
Fourteen prime ministers have served her, including Winston Churchill, making up a quarter of the total since Robert Walpole about 300 years ago. Lyndon Johnson is the only president she hasn’t met during her time in office.
In contrast to the scandals that have consumed previous members of the royal family, Elizabeth’s modest dedication to duty has garnered her popularity and respect across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labor Party, tweeted:”Wishing Her Majesty The Queen good health and a speedy recovery.” “Get well soon, Ma’am.”
The monarchy has taken a number of blows, including a sex abuse court case against Prince Andrew, which has raised worries about the monarchy’s long-term viability. Despite this, popular support for her remains robust, with around four in five Britons having a favorable opinion.
Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her while she was a teenager, reached a settlement with him last week.
Although Andrew has denied forcing Giuffre, an Australian woman in her late teens to engage in sexual relations with him, the late millionaire and serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has also denied any wrongdoing on his part.
In a statement last week, British police said they had launched an inquiry into media claims alleging that a Saudi individual received honors in exchange for contributions to one of Prince Charles’ organizations.
