London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 17, 2026

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
Asthma Charity Warns of Major Gaps in Childhood Diagnostic Testing Across England
TUC Chief Paul Nowak Appointed to Bank of England Court
Bristol Opens £35 Million Deep-Tech Innovation Hub at Temple Quarter
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Housing Plan
Andy Burnham Deepens UK Defense and AI Cooperation With NATO and Canada
UK Government Announces Neonatal Safety Reforms After Thirlwall Inquiry
Bank of England Weighs Rate Decision as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Health Unions Warn of Staffing Pressures as Public and Private Pay Growth Diverges
Rockstar Games Faces Tribunal Claims From 23 Former Grand Theft Auto VI Developers
UK Treasury Faces Tighter Budget Constraints as Borrowing Costs and Pension Spending Rise
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Plan for Greater Public Oversight of Utilities
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Coordinate Push for UK Constitutional Change
Police Tighten Public-Order Measures After Anti-Immigration Protests in Dover and Portsmouth
UK Ministers Pressed for Answers After US Diplomat Accused of Child Abuse Images Leaves Britain
Jaguar Land Rover Pursues NATO Defense Contracts for Defender Vehicles
British Service Member Dies in Road Accident While Deployed in Ukraine
George Osborne Calls for Britain to Rejoin EU Customs Union
Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei Urges Faster UK Action on Advanced AI Risks
UK State Pension Set for 3.9% Rise Under Triple Lock
UK Labour Market Cools as Payrolled Employment Continues to Decline
Reform UK’s £72 Million in Donations Faces Scrutiny Under Proposed Retrospective Funding Rules
UK Doctors Warn Expanded Pharmacy First Scheme Could Put Patients at Risk
British Airlines Cut Short-Haul Capacity as Jet Fuel Costs Rise
UK News Publishers Forecast 40% Search Traffic Drop as AI Overviews Expand
Axel Springer Wins Approval for £575 Million Daily Telegraph Acquisition
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Opposes Heathrow Third Runway Over Climate Targets
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Hold Summit Seeking Greater Autonomy
UK Energy Price Cap Set to Rise to £1,723 in October
UK Treasury Warns Middle East Conflict Is Threatening Economic Growth
Labour Moves to Retrospectively Cap Overseas Political Donations After Reform UK Funding Surge
HMRC Warns Nearly Seven Million Adults Are Unclear About State Pension Entitlements
UK Parliament Passes Sovereign Grant Reform Before Conference Recess
British Rail Passengers Gain Automatic Right to Switch Operators During Disruptions
Burnham Hosts Downing Street Business Summit as UK Fiscal Pressure Builds
Labour Government Moves to Challenge £72 Million in Reform UK Crypto Donations
UK Advertising Industry Warns Wider Junk Food Rules Could Put £1 Billion in Media Spending at Risk
Cornwall Opens Devolution Talks With UK Government Over Transport and Local Services
UK Parliament Considers Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
Trades Union Congress Calls for Income-Based Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Levy
UK Prime Minister Rejects Second Scottish Independence Referendum
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Bill to Lower UK Voting Age to 16
Anthropic Says Claude Was Exploited in Weapons-Related and State-Linked Cyber Activity
Institute of Directors Urges UK Government to Avoid Business Tax Increases in Autumn Budget
Rising Gilt Yields Cut UK Fiscal Headroom to About £13 Billion Ahead of Budget
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
UK Government Promises Clearer Student Loan Guidance After Repayment Backlash
Charities Warn Unpaid Carers May Die Before Receiving Government Compensation
Dover Unrest Prompts Review of UK Counter-Extremism Strategy
Celtic Summit Leaders Reassert Right to Pursue Independence From UK
×