The Prince of Wales has coronavirus, it has been confirmed, after he travelled to Scotland where he was tested on the NHS for “mild symptoms”.

The Prince, who is 71, tested positive after qualifying to be checked for Covid-19 in Scotland on account of his age and medical history.

He is now self-isolating at his home in Birkhall, Aberdeenshire, separately from the Duchess of Cornwall who tested negative.

Doctors say he has been contagious from March 13th at the earliest. He last saw the Queen, who at 93 is in voluntary isolation in Windsor, on the morning of March 12th.

Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, sent her best wishes to the Prince but warned that the Highlands must not be seen as somewhere people can go to “outrun the virus”.

The Prince arrived in Scotland on Sunday night after experiencing “mild symptoms” which were not sufficient to raise alarm bells about his pre-planned travel, it is understood.

He was tested at home on Monday on the advice of a doctor, learning the results on Tuesday.

The Scottish NHS website states that “Generally, you'll only be tested for Covid-19 if you have a serious illness that requires admission to hospital”, while some surveillance testing is permitted by local GPs. A spokesman for NHS Grampian said: "All clinical decisions are on a case by case basis supported by national guidance."

There has been significant criticism over testing in England, where it is currently only being done on those in hospital in a serious condition, or in exceptional circumstances as part of systematic surveillance in communities. There is particular concern over the lack of tests available for front-line NHS staff.

The news is likely to cause deep concern for those who have met the Prince in recent days, after he held a succession of private meetings at Highgrove.

All those he has been in contact with have been traced and informed.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the Queen remains in “good health” and is following “all appropriate advice” while at Windsor Castle. She is understood to remain in her private apartments with the Duke of Edinburgh and a vastly reduced staff.

The Prince of Wales, who last saw her at Buckingham Palace after an investiture on March 12th, is said to be in good spirits and has not been bedridden with the illness, taking part in a call with the executive chairman of the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.

The Prince began suffering mild symptoms over the weekend while he was at Highgrove, his estate in Gloucestershire. He and the Duchess flew to Scotland on Sunday night, via a planned private flight to spend Easter at Birkhall as usual.

On Monday, his worsened symptoms were sufficient to consult a doctor, who recommended he get tested for Covid-19.

The Prince and Duchess are now isolating separately at Birkhall, where around half a dozen members of staff are running what the Queen Mother once called the “small, big house”. They have not been into the local community, a source said, and will remain cut off for two weeks until they are confident they will not spread the virus.

A spokesman for Clarence House said: “It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.”

On March 10, Prince Charles was photographed sitting opposite Prince Albert of Monaco at a London conference about water and climate change.

Nine days later, Prince Albert announced he had contracted the virus. Prince Charles has spoken to both his sons the Duke of Cambridge, who is in Norfolk with the Duchess of Cambridge and their young children, and the Duke of Sussex, who is in Canada, by telephone.

He has also been in touch with the Queen since his diagnosis. He last saw his family en masse at the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey, at which he greeted the Prime Minister, Commonwealth leaders, celebrities and some of the 2,000-strong congregation with a “namaste”.

His last public engagement was on March 12 at a Mansion House dinner for the Australian Bushfire Appeal, and he hosted several private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy of Cornwall staff while in Gloucestershire.

A source said his doctor's most conservative estimate was that the prince was contagious from March 13th at the earliest. Medical advice is that it is “unlikely to escalate into a more serious case” from now on, it is understood.

The news raised questions yesterday about how the Prince came to be tested, and why he moved to Scotland despite experiencing mild symptoms.

On Monday, after he arrived in Aberdeenshire, the Prime Minister announced there would be a virtual lockdown on all-but-essential.

Asked about it at a press conference yesterday, Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood said: "I've discussed with the team in NHS Grampian and from the information I've been given it's clear he [Prince Charles] was tested for clinical reasons, and I'm pleased also that he is well and as with many people who have had this virus he has had a mild illness."

Nicola Sturgeon insisted she would not comment specifically on Prince Charles when asked about the Government's instruction that people should not seek to escape the Covid-19 pandemic by travelling to the Scottish countryside, but said: "We want people to behave responsibly, we don't want people to see the Highlands and islands of our country as places where they can outrun the virus.

"Obviously there are places where people have homes in Scotland and people will choose to go to their homes, but we should all be responsible."

A source pointed out that the Prince and Duchess spend a large proportion of each year at Birkhall, and travel there annually at this time of year.

A Clarence House spokesman said: “The Prince of Wales has tested positive for Coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual.

“The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with Government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland.

“The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing."

Prince Charles' recent engagements

Mar 12 | Australian Bushfire dinner in London

The Prince of Wales mingled with many, including Hilary Russell and the Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell at a dinner at Mansion House in London in aid of the Australian bushfire relief and recovery effort.

It was hosted by the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the High Commissioner for Australia