Queen Elizabeth, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is also experiencing mild symptoms, after being in contact with her eldest son and heir, the Prince of Wales, who tested positive last week.
The monarch is experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms” but expects to continue “light duties” at Windsor over the coming week, Buckingham Palace said.
“She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines,” it added in a statement.
The Queen, 95, will be required to self-isolate for 10 days from the day her symptoms begin, or the day of the positive test if she has no symptoms.
This would likely be at Windsor Castle, which has been her main residence since the beginning of the pandemic.
After day five of isolation, she would be able to have a rapid antigen test, and if that and another test the following day returned a negative result, and she did not have a high temperature, she would be free to stop self-isolating.
It is understood a number of people have tested positive at Windsor Castle, where the Queen resides.
The announcement comes weeks after the Queen became the UK’s longest-reigning monarch, reaching her Platinum Jubilee of 70 years on 6 February.
She carried out her first major public engagement for more than three months on the eve of her Jubilee, meeting charity workers at Sandringham House.
What if the Queen was incapacitated?
If the Queen were incapacitated for any reason, findings by BusinessDay show a “regent” would need to be provided to take over her duties. The regent is typically the next in line to the throne. In this case, that is Prince Charles.
Under the Regency Act of 1937, the Queen would have to be judged “by reason of infirmity of mind or body incapable for the time being of performing the royal functions”.
For that to happen, any three of the monarch’s consort (which was Prince Philip up until his death in April 2021), the Lord Chancellor Dominic Raab, House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, the Lord Chief Justice or the Master of Rolls would need to make the declaration of incapacity, which would need to be supported by medical evidence.
According to University College London’s constitution unit, the regency act also allows the sovereign to delegate the monarch’s duties to the counsellors of state, but only during temporary absences or due to a passing illness.
But the delegation does not include the power to assent to a dissolution of parliament or allow a general election – two cornerstones of a monarch’s duties.
The current counsellors of state are appointed from the next four adults in line to the throne, who are Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Prince Andrew.
Whatever the outcome, the Queen is expected to remain on the throne until her death.
