Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip To Remain At Windsor Castle Amid Royal Engagements' Cancellation

Due to the coronavirus threat, Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip will remain at the Windsor Castle despite the British prime minister’s statement that the country is slowly easing restrictions that were in place because of the pandemic.

The royal couple has been holing up at the royal residence since March after they left the Buckingham Palace, especially since the virus is more fatal for the elderly. Her Royal Majesty is 94, while Prince Philip will turn 99 years old this year.

It is unclear when the couple will leave their residence, where they have been isolating, but The Times claimed their stay is expected to last for months. If so, this will mark the longest period that the Queen has been out of her royal engagements in her 68 years of being a ruler.

While the public won’t be seeing much of the nonagenarian monarch, it is said that she will do her work from the comfort of the castle. There is still no specific date on when Queen Elizabeth will resume engagements, but the fall is the reported earliest date.

“The queen continues to be busy and will follow appropriate advice on engagements," a spokesperson of Buckingham Palace said in a statement obtained by Harpers Bazaar.

The coronavirus has halted the Queen and Prince Philip’s busy schedule, with outlets saying all future events have been postponed. For example, the fate of the plans to visit South Africa five months from now remains unknown.

Around this time of the year, the Queen spends time at the Buckingham Palace preparing for garden parties, Entertainment Tonight Canada noted. Then, Queen Elizabeth goes to Balmoral Castle in Scotland to hold another soiree.

Apart from the garden parties being scrapped as a safety precaution, the annual Trooping the Colour is also canceled, which means the couple will not have anything to do if they go back to the Buckingham Palace.

On March 26, the Clarence House announced that Prince Charles contracted the new strain of the coronavirus. Queen Elizabeth last saw her son on March 12, and tests showed she didn’t have COVID-19, the BBC reported.

Duchess of Cornwall Camilla’s test also came out negative, but she is still practicing self-isolation.