COVID-19 Effect: Queen Elizabeth II MASSIVELY Affected By Coronavirus Crisis
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic hit the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II has been in isolation at Windsor Castle together with her husband, Prince Philip. The Buckingham Palace made this bold move to ensure that Her Majesty is safe, especially after one of the palace aides had tested positive for the dreaded virus.
After almost two months in isolation, the 94-year-old monarch is set to withdraw from her public duties as the head of the British monarchy. Palace officials said that this is to ensure the Queen's safety while the coronavirus continuously spreads in the country.
According to reports, Queen Elizabeth II will be off duty for a month, which is believed to be her longest absence since her 68 years of reign. During her royal duty break, the Queen will remain in indefinite isolation with the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Sunday Times also reported that Her Majesty's diary of engagements would be on hold until autumn. Her plans to visit South Africa this coming October might also be put on hold.
For the first time in 30 years, the Palace will also be closed to the public during the entire European summer.
"The Queen won't do anything which goes against the advice of people in her [age] category, and she's going to take all the appropriate advice," a source told the publication.
"There are discussions about what we could and couldn't do come October. We haven't cancelled a load of engagements, but nothing is going into Her Majesty's diary at the moment."
The insider explained that Queen Elizabeth II would love to go back to London, but since there is still no advice that is is safe to return, she wants to set a good example to the nation by being responsible for her actions.
"I don't think we'll see her again for a while. Nobody will risk it, particularly with the threat of a second spike later in the year," the palace insider added.
Under normal circumstances, Queen Elizabeth returns to Buckingham Palace in May and spends most of her summer break at Balmoral.
Because of the ongoing health crisis, the Queen also had to cancel some traditional annual events, including Trooping the Colour, the Order of the Garter service, and her summer garden parties.
Queen Elizabeth II's last public appearance was on March 9 when she attended the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey together with other senior royals. It was also the last royal engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle before officially stepping down as senior members of the royal family.
The news of Her Majesty's indefinite absence leads to questions if she will soon pass the crown to her eldest son, Prince Charles. The 71-year-old heir to the throne recently tested positive for coronavirus and eventually recovered after roughly two weeks in isolation.
As of writing, the U.K has now over 219,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and a total of 31, 855 already died due to COVID-19.
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