Queen Elizabeth II is moving to her home in Windsor Castle amid the coronavirus outbreak, Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday. In a statement, the palace shared that the Queen will move to Windsor Castle on Thursday, March 18, one week earlier than planned. The statement added that it is likely the 93-year-old will remain in Windsor beyond the Easter period.
The palace announced that events scheduled at Buckingham Palace prior to her departure will take place as scheduled, including receiving the Prime Minister, the Commanding Officer of [Her Majesty’s Ship] QUEEN ELIZABETH and the Bishop of Hereford. “Future audiences will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and the Queen will cancel or postpone a number of scheduled events for the coming months,” the statement continued. Some of those events include the annual Maundy Service at St George’s Chapel on April 9, three Garden Parties that were scheduled to be held at Buckingham Palace in May and two additional Garden Parties given for the Not Forgotten Association and the National Trust.
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“In consultation with the Medical Household and Government, a number of public events with large numbers of people due to have been attended by The Queen, and other Members of the Royal Family, in the coming months will be cancelled or postponed,” the statement read.
The monarch recently visited Windsor over the weekend, prompting reports that she had done so due to the virus, but the palace denied those reports at the time and issued a statement sharing that the Queen was to return to London during the week. Prior to that visit, it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II would postpone upcoming visits to Cheshire and Camden.
Decisions pertaining to other events, including the annual Trooping the Colour, the 75th anniversary of VE Day and the State Visit by the Emperor and Empress of Japan, will be made “in due course, in consultation with Government.” The British government is currently urging its citizens, particularly those over 70 years old, to avoid “non-essential” contact with others for the next 12 weeks.
Other royal family members whose scheduled have been affected by the coronavirus include Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, whose royal tour scheduled for March 17-25 with stops in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Cyprus and Jordan, has been canceled.
“Owing to the unfolding situation with the coronavirus pandemic, The British Government has asked Their Royal Highnesses to postpone their spring tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan,” their office said in a statement.
Photo Credit: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo
