The Truth About The First Royal With Coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic is affecting countless people, and the royal family is no exception. Even Queen Elizabeth has taken precautions to avoid the virus, moving from London's Buckingham Palace to her country residence Windsor Castle, and she has canceled several major events. Princess Beatrice may have to cancel or postpone her wedding, which was scheduled for May 2020. Meanwhile, young Prince George and Princess Charlotte are transitioning to at-home "remote learning," USA Today reported.
As of this writing, there are over 233,000 coronavirus cases in at least 148 countries worldwide, per The New York Times. Health officials say COVID-19 is especially risky for people over 60, leaving royal spectators concerned about key elderly members of the British royal family, including the queen, her husband Prince Philip, and Prince Charles.
In addition to the British royal family, other countries' royals are also feeling the pandemic's impact. King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway are in quarantine, while King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain were recently tested after being exposed to someone with the virus, though their results came back negative, per the Daily Mail.
Now, a royal has tested positive for the virus for the first time.
The first royal with coronavirus is hanging in there
The Archduke of Austria, Karl von Habsburg, recently tested positive for coronavirus. He confirmed his test results to the Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung on March 10, 2020, telling the outlet, "When a friend called me that he had a positive test at a congress in Switzerland, I was also tested."
Austria has over 2000 cases of coronavirus, and its citizens are only allowed to leave their homes to buy food, work, or for health reasons, and gatherings over five people are banned, per The Daily Express. The CDC says "older adults" — or people over age 60 — are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, along with immunocompromised people. At 59 years old, the Archduke of Austria is just below that age threshold. But thankfully, this royal seems to be in good spirits. "It's annoying, but I'm fine," Habsburg said. "It's not the black plague. I thought it was the usual flu." Despite his diagnosis, he said that panicking is "not appropriate." The royal is now in quarantine at his house in Lower Austria and is avoiding contact with other people, including his immediate family members. "I have a friend who puts groceries at my door every two days," he said.
We're glad to see Habsburg and other royals taking this virus seriously while also staying centered and calm.