Get our daily coronavirus email newsletter with all the news you need to know direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating at home with "mild symptoms" that are not expected to become more serious.

Likely contagious since March 13, the day after he last saw his mum the Queen, the Prince of Wales, 71, developed symptoms over the weekend but "otherwise remains in good health".

The heir to the throne met hundreds of people during a "high number of engagements" in recent weeks - where he offered namaste gestures instead of handshakes - but it is "not possible to ascertain" where he caught the virus, his spokesman said.

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, 72, has tested negative for coronavirus and is self-isolating with her husband at their 53,000-acre Birkhall estate in Scotland, although they are apart from each other at the residence.

Charles - who has since spoken to the Queen and sons William in Norfolk and Harry in Canada - is the first Royal Family member to be diagnosed with Covid-19. He falls within one of the highest risk categories given his age.

Have you been affected by coronavirus? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk.

(Image: PA)

Charles last saw the Queen after an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace on March 12, and she was in "good health" at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, a spokesperson said.

His dad, the Duke of Edinburgh, was not with the Queen at Buckingham Palace that day, the palace confirmed.

The 93-year-old monarch and her two corgis left her central London residence for Windsor last Thursday, a week earlier than usual for Easter, and is following social distancing guidelines with Prince Philip, 98.

The earliest date that doctors think Charles was contagious is March 13, a day after he last saw the Queen and stopped doing engagements as the coronavirus crisis worsened, although it is a conservative estimate.

(Image: Getty Images)

Charles' positive test was carried out on Monday by the NHS in Aberdeenshire and he received the result on Tuesday.

He had been at Highgrove, his residence in Gloucestershire, before going to Birkhall, on Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire, on Sunday.

Six staff members are self-isolating as well. People who have recently had contact with Charles have been tested.

A Clarence House spokesman said: "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.

(Image: Getty Images)

"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.

"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."

Charles and Camilla are self-isolating individually at Birkhall, the estate where they honeymooned in 2005.

The prince travelled to Birkhall on Sunday and he was tested on Monday.

(Image: PA)

(Image: PA)

A source said the prince and the duchess remained in good spirits, and Charles was up and about and not bedridden.

Medical advice is that it is unlikely to escalate into a more serious case.

Charles has spoken to his sons the Duke of Cambridge, who is in Norfolk with wife Kate Middleton and their three children, and the Duke of Sussex, who is in a mansion near the Canadian city of Victoria with wife Meghan Markle and son Archie, as well as the Queen.

There were fears for the Queen when Clarence House announced that Charles had tested positive.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "Her Majesty The Queen remains in good health.

"The Queen last saw The Prince of Wales briefly after the investiture on the morning of 12th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare."

Charles' final public engagements were on March 12 - an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, where he offered the namaste gesture instead of handshakes, and a dinner that night at Mansion House in London in aid of the bushfire relief effort in Australia.

The dinner was hosted by William Russell, Lord Mayor of the City of London, and George Brandis, the High Commissioner for Australia.

(Image: PA)

How to self-isolate For those concerned they have coronavirus in the UK, Public Health England has issued advice about how to self-isolate. 1. Stay at home: Don't leave your house except when you need to seek medical care. Ask for help buying groceries or have them delivered. 2. Stay away from your housemates: Stick in a well-ventilated room away from others, with the door closed. Use a separate bathroom and wear a facemask when it shared areas. 3. Call ahead before visiting the doctors so they can take extra precautionary measures. 4. Cover you coughs and sneezes: Make sure to cover your nose and mouth and to throw away disposable tissues in a plastic waste bag. 5. Wash your hands regularly: This should be done often and thoroughly with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds, rinse and dry thoroughly. 6. Avoid sharing household items: You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding or other items with other people in your home when you have used them. After using these items, wash them thoroughly with soap and water. 7. Do not have visitors in your home. 8. Keep away from your pets if possible. 9. Keep your clothes clean: Do laundry on the highest temperature possible and clean all surfaces around the washing machine. 10. Monitor your symptoms: Seek prompt medical attention if your illness is worsening, for example, if you have difficulty breathing, or if the person you are caring for symptoms are worsening.

That morning, Charles met the outgoing Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, privately at Clarence House, one of a number of events staged behind closed doors.

At the Prince's Trust Awards in London on March 11, he offered a namaste gesture as he greeted celebrities including TV presenters Ant and Dec, sprinting champion Dina Asher-Smith, James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, and actors Michael Ward and Ashley Walters.

Prince Albert of Monaco tested positive for coronavirus nine days after attending the same event as Charles.

The pair were in the same room for a WaterAid event at Kings Place in London on March 10, when Charles addressed the audience.

Charles is not believed to have shaken hands with Albert but attended a roundtable meeting with him at the WaterAid Summit.

Prince Albert was the first head of state and reigning monarch to reveal they had been diagnosed with Covid-19.

(Image: Getty Images)

Monaco said he was doing fine despite the diagnosis.

Charles last saw the Queen at a public event on March 9, when senior royals including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

It is not known when he was last in contact with William and Kate, and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Boris Johnson was informed about the Prince of Wales' positive test result on Wednesday morning and he "wishes the prince a speedy recovery".

The spokesman said the Prime Minister's weekly audience with the Queen was now taking place by telephone.

Usually the pair meet in person at Buckingham Palace.

Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said: “The PM and her Majesty are holding their weekly audience by telephone only.

“I’d expect that to be the case later today, it certainly was the case last week as well.”

Mr Johnson is thought to have last met Prince Charles at a Commonwealth Day service on March 9.

Asked if Mr Johnson is in good health, the spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is fit and well.”

Asked if Mr Johnson will delay his wedding to Carrie Symonds, his press secretary said: “I don’t think we’d get into the details of that.”

Scotland's chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood said of the Prince of Wales' positive result: "I've discussed with the team in NHS Grampian and from the information I've been given its clear he 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."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she sends her best wishes to the Prince of Wales.

Asked about the Government's instruction that people should not seek to escape the Covid-19 pandemic by travelling to the Highlands, she 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."

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

An SNP MSP has questioned how the Prince of Wales was able to receive a test for coronavirus.

Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, tweeted that she wished Charles a speedy recovery but added: "Given that his symptoms are said to be mild, like many I wonder how he was tested when many NHS and social care workers cannot get tested.

"My nephew, who has serious asthma and a chest infection was recently refused a test."

Earlier this week, it emerged that a worker at Buckingham Palace had tested positive for coronavirus while the Queen was still in residence.

The aide reportedly fell ill and tested positive last week, and Royal Household staff who had contact with the person have been ordered to self-isolate.

(Image: David Sims / SplashNews.com)

It was not known if the Queen had any contact with the employee, who was said to be recovering.

The Queen is expected to stay at Windsor Castle for the foreseeable future with the Duke of Edinburgh.

They are socially distancing with a reduced household for their safety at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.

The advanced age of both the Queen and Philip mean they are more at risk of complications if they catch the Covid-19 illness.

Philip was flown by helicopter from the Sandringham estate where he has been staying in his secluded Wood Farm cottage.

Last week, the Queen issued a message of solidarity to the nation, saying the UK's "history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one".

She said the UK was "entering a period of great concern and uncertainty", but the British public was up to the challenges ahead.

The head of state said she and the royal family stood ready to play their part.

The Queen praised the work of scientists, medical practitioners and the emergency and public services, but she warned that everyone now has a vitally important part to play in the coming months.

At the weekend, it was claimed she was preparing to make a televised address to calm the nation's nerves, but was waiting for the "right moment" to address the country.

Where are Charles and Camilla self-isolating?

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall spent their honeymoon at the idyllic royal retreat of Birkhall.

Now as they approach their 15th wedding anniversary next month, the pair are self-isolating from one another in their beloved Scottish home after Charles tested positive for coronavirus.

Each Easter and summer, Charles and Camilla head to the residence nestled in a picturesque glen on the Queen's private Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire.

(Image: Daily Record)

The couple, who are known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay in Scotland, usually spend their time fishing, painting or walking together near the secluded home, which used to belong to Charles's grandmother the Queen Mother.

But this stay will be vastly different as they isolate from each other and their small remaining household.

The Queen Mother used to described the home as a "little big house".

The grand hunting lodge was where heir to the throne Charles found sanctuary as a teenager with his grandmother during his unhappy school days at Gordonstoun.

He inherited it from the Queen Mother following her death in 2002.

In Charles's own words, the retreat is "a unique haven of cosiness and character".

Alongside his grandmother, Charles first learned to fish by the whisky-brown waters of the Muick which flows at the bottom of the lodge's garden.

During the turmoil of his divorce from Diana, Princess of Wales, it was at Birkhall that Charles sought refuge from media scrutiny.

Shortly after the death of the Queen Mother, the grieving Prince made the sad journey back to stay in the nostalgic house, where he was joined by Camilla.

Hidden from public view, the mansion dates to 1715 and was bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for their son in 1849.

The Queen Mother, then the Duchess of York, first went there shortly after she married the Duke of York in 1923, when King George V suggested they use it as their Scottish home.

Charles's parents, the Queen, then known as Princess Elizabeth, and the Duke of Edinburgh, spent part of their honeymoon at Birkhall in 1947, after first travelling to Broadlands in Hampshire to the home of Philip's uncle Earl Mountbatten.

The Scottish mansion also played a crucial role in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's romance when they were dating.

William and Kate enjoyed romantic breaks at the retreat, and reportedly told friends many of their happiest weekends were spent at the sanctuary.

In 2010, Camilla broke her left fibula while out hillwalking on the Balmoral estate.