After 12 weeks in lockdown the royal family is back to work, with Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, Princess Anne, and Prince William all carrying out in-person engagements on Tuesday.
Charles and Camilla became the first royals to officially resume face-to-face public duties with a surprise afternoon visit to the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. The visit was not announced in advance by Clarence House, who said any visits that the couple carry out will be within the government guidelines. By not announcing the visit, the palace was also able to ensure there were no crowds and the visit itself took place outside in the hospital’s campus.
Charles and Camilla were careful to maintain strict social distancing as they met NHS workers in the grounds of the hospital to express their gratitude on behalf of the nation for the hard working front line workers. Instead of handshakes there were “namastes” from the prince, who said he believed the pandemic had brought “different parts of the NHS together.”
Camilla said that the NHS had done “the most remarkable things…The way they’ve looked after people, they’ve kept control of the whole thing, a question of not panicking and getting on with it. They are Britain at its best.”
Charles and Camilla have spent the lockdown in isolating in Balmoral, where the prince recovered from a mild bout of the coronavirus at the start of the lockdown. Over the weekend they returned to Clarence House, their London base so that they can carry out engagements on behalf of the Queen and the government. On Thursday, Charles and Camilla will welcome French President Emmanuel Macron to the UK.
Meanwhile the Duke of Cambridge was in Kings Lynn Norfolk visiting the Kings Lynn Ambulance Station at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in a surprise visit of his own . Aides say the Duke wanted to thank staff for their work and dedication responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, and to hear more about their experiences over the past few months. William was particularly keen to learn about the impact that the COVID-19 outbreak has had on the mental health and the wellbeing of first responders.
In April the Cambridges launched “Our Frontline” through their charity The Royal Foundation. The initiative was created to provide round-the-clock mental health and bereavement support to frontline staff and key workers during the pandemic. While Charles and Camilla have returned to the capital, the Cambridges are still at their country home in Norfolk. They have chosen not to send Princess Charlotte back to school yet, but they are expected to return to Kensington Palace in the coming weeks before taking some time off later this summer.
In addition, Princess Anne was also due to visit the nearby Duke of Gloucester Barracks to see military personnel being tested for Covid-19.
While the royals are keen to get back to work aides are having to implement new measures when they are on duty to safeguard the principals. In addition to avoiding handshakes, social distancing must be observed and, when possible, engagements will happen outside to prevent the risk of spreading the disease. Meanwhile palace staff continue to work from home.
Although she is in good health and Covid-free, the Queen is unlikely to resume face to face engagements for now and aides have indicated that she will stay at Windsor Castle for the foreseeable future. The monarch is carrying out her daily duties while in isolation which include reading the red Government boxes she receives daily and her charity work. Last week the Queen joined the Carers Trust call with Princess Anne (her first video conference call to be taped), and she has been busy on the phone taking calls with the First and Deputy Ministers in Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister and the Prime Ministers of New Zealand, Australia and Canada as well as the Privy Councils.
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