London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Dec 03, 2025

Covid: Charles met Queen two days before testing positive

Covid: Charles met Queen two days before testing positive

The Prince of Wales, who is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, met the Queen two days ago in Windsor, a royal source says.

They say the monarch is not showing any symptoms of coronavirus.

Prince Charles tested positive on Thursday morning - it is the second time he has contracted the virus.

The previous evening, he and the Duchess of Cornwall met Chancellor Rishi Sunak and others at a reception in the British Museum.

Camilla has tested negative for coronavirus, Clarence House said.

Buckingham Palace has not confirmed whether the Queen has tested positive or negative, citing medical privacy.

Earlier this week, Charles held an investiture at Windsor Castle, where the Queen, 95, is currently in residence.

The 73-year-old heir to the throne last caught the virus in March 2020, when he reported only mild symptoms.

Clarence House confirmed he was now triple vaccinated, but would not give any detail on whether he was experiencing coronavirus symptoms this time.

Tuesday's investiture carried out by the prince saw Ansel Wong, a Trinidadian-born cultural activist who previously helped to organise the Notting Hill carnival, receive a CBE for services to art and culture.

London restaurant founders and chefs Margot and Fergus Henderson were made OBEs for services to the culinary arts while Dr Nisreen Alwan, associate professor in public health at Southampton University, was made an MBE for services to medicine and public health during the pandemic.

As well as the investiture, it was a busy day for Charles with meetings and engagements including:

*  A reception with Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer

*  A reception with Adm Sir Antony Radakin, upon assuming his appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff

*  A dinner at St James's Palace in his capacity as Royal Founding Patron of the Professional Teaching Institute

Charles and Camilla attended a reception on Wednesday evening


On Wednesday, Charles and Camilla were at a British Museum reception to celebrate the work of the British Asian Trust.

Guests included the chancellor, Home Secretary Priti Patel and music producer Naughty Boy.

Earlier that day, Charles attended London's National Gallery as its royal patron.

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

In England, contacts of positive Covid cases who are fully vaccinated should take lateral flow tests for seven days. They do not have to self-isolate unless they test positive.

Charles must self-isolate for 10 full days, but he could be allowed to end this early if he tests negative on day five and day six.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has signalled that these rules could be lifted within weeks.

Priti Patel, Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murthy, Charles and Camilla were among guests at the celebration of the British Asian Trust


Charles had been due to unveil a statue of Licoricia of Winchester on Thursday, a medieval Jewish businesswoman who was a money lender and single parent in the Hampshire city.

Clarence House said His Royal Highness was "deeply disappointed not to be able to attend... and will look to reschedule his visit as soon as possible".

The announcement of Charles's positive test was made just after midday, about 12 minutes before he was due to arrive.

More than 1,000 people were gathered behind barriers in the city's Jewry Street, waiting to see the prince.

The Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, helped reveal the statue on behalf of the prince


The Queen's representative in Hampshire, the Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson, read out a message from the prince to the disappointed crowd.

Charles's message said: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am so sorry that I cannot be with you today. I am desperately disappointed as I was so looking forward to marking this historic occasion with you.

"I hope very much that I will be able to visit at a future time but for today please accept my most heartfelt apologies and my very best wishes as you mark this memorable occasion for Winchester."

Meanwhile, Camilla has carried on with her planned engagements, earlier visiting Paddington Haven, a sexual assault referral centre in West London.

She met former Love Island star Zara McDermott and discussed her experience of revenge porn and assault.

The Queen with Charles, her eldest son, at the opening ceremony of the Senedd in Cardiff in October


The Queen returned to Windsor Castle, where she met Charles, earlier this week after spending the anniversary of her accession day on Sunday at her Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

The day before, she had hosted a Platinum Jubilee reception for volunteer groups and pensioners from the Sandringham community, with guests describing her as being on "sparkling form".

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
Google Struggles to Meet AI Demand as Infrastructure, Energy and Supply-Chain Gaps Deepen
Car Parts Leader Warns Europe Faces Heavy Job Losses in ‘Darwinian’ Auto Shake-Out
×