On Sunday, the palace announced that the 95-year-old monarch had contracted the virus.
“Since Her Majesty the Queen still has mild cold-like symptoms, she has decided not to have her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue on light duty,” the palace said.
Light duties most likely refer to the responsibilities of the head of state such as reading and responding to documents and letters, which you receive daily in the famous red mailboxes.
A source close to the palace told CNN that the Queen’s other engagements over the next week will be determined at the earliest.
The Queen’s diagnosis is the royal family’s latest case of Covid-19. Her eldest son and heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, contracted the virus for the second time on February 10, and had seen his mother “recently”. Days later, his wife Camilla also tested positive.
In addition, a royal source told CNN on Sunday that there had recently been “a number of cases … diagnosed on the Windsor Castle team.”
British media reported that the Queen had been fully vaccinated. Buckingham Palace confirmed earlier that the Queen and her late husband Prince Philip received their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in January 2021. The palace refused to reveal any information regarding subsequent vaccinations, citing medical privacy.
She has used a walking stick on several posts in recent months and noted her mobility at last week’s event. While she was having a meeting with two of my Army secretaries in the Oak room at Windsor Castle, she joked, “Well, you see, I can’t move,” while pointing at her leg. A royal source told CNN at the time that she was believed to have been feeling slightly stiff rather than injured or unwell.
She has also made plans to appear at a number of major engagements next month: a diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle on 2 March, the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on 14 March; Thanksgiving was served to Prince Philip at the same venue on March 29.
Celebrations are scheduled nationwide for her platinum jubilee in June.
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