Following Queen Elizabeth's COVID-19 diagnosis over the weekend, the monarch has made some big changes her to plans. On Tuesday, Feb. 22, Buckingham Palace announced that the queen would be canceling her virtual appointments. During the pandemic, the queen has sometimes kept her engagements virtually from her home in Windsor Castle rather than meeting in person. While she has had some more in-person appointments recently, these were canceled following her positive diagnosis.
The palace shared that the queen's virtual appointments were canceled was due to the symptoms she is experiencing. While the palace did not go into much detail, they did give the public an idea of what her experience with coronavirus has been like. Read on to find out what we know about the queen's symptoms and how having COVID has affected her duties.
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The queen was diagnosed on Sunday.
Mr Pics / ShutterstockOn Sunday, Feb. 20, Buckingham Palace announced that the queen had tested positive for COVID-19.
"Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid," the palace shared in a statement (via 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."
As reported by CNN, the phrase "light duties" tends to mean answering and reading documents that she receives as head of state.
Her symptoms are described as "cold-like."
VICTORIA JONES/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesBuckingham Palace has described Queen Elizabeth's symptoms as "mild" and "cold-like." In a statement announcing that her virtual meetings had been canceled, the palace said (via People), "As Her Majesty is still experiencing mild cold-like symptoms she has decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue with light duties."
Per NBC News, symptoms of the Omicron variant can include congestion, runny nose, fatigue, headache, sore throat, and/or coughing.
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Other royal family members have also tested positive.
ChrisGhinda / ShutterstockPrior to the queen's diagnosis, her son, Prince Charles, and daughter-in-law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, tested positive for COVID-19. It was announced that Charles tested positive on Feb. 10, and four days later, the news that Camilla was also positive was made public, as reported by the AP. The queen had seen Charles two days prior to his positive test, as reported by People.
This is the second time that Charles has had COVID after previously contracting the virus in March 2020. According to the AP, Charles and Camilla are both triple-vaccinated. The queen has also been reported to be fully vaccinated.
The queen has a big year ahead.
Cubankite / ShutterstockThe queen is always busy with meetings, visits, and other duties as monarch, but this year in particular is a big one for her. The year 2022 marks Elizabeth's 70th anniversary as queen, which is being celebrated as her Platinum Jubilee.
Events related to the milestone have already kicked off. On Feb. 5, the queen attended a reception held on the day prior to her Accession Day—the day she became queen in 1952. At the event, she cut a cake that featured her Platinum Jubilee emblem. The Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated throughout the year with the biggest events taking place in June.
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