Prince Charles diagnosed with coronavirus in Scotland

Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus while in Scotland, his office has confirmed.

His wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has also been tested but does not have the virus.

The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire, where the couple are staying at Balmoral.

Clarence House said the 71-year-old Prince, known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, had carried out a “high number of public engagements” in recent weeks.

In a statement, Clarence House said: “The Prince of Wales has tested positive for coronavirus.

“He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual.

“The Duchess of Cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the Prince and the Duchess are now self-isolating at home in Scotland.

“The tests were carried out by the NHS in Aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing.

“It is not possible to ascertain from whom the Prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks.”

Doctors believe future king Charles became contagious on March 13 – the day after he last saw his mother, the Queen.

Buckingham Palace said the 93-year-old monarch, who is staying at Windsor Castle with the 98-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, remains in good health and is following all appropriate advice.

Philip was not with the Queen at Buckingham Palace when she last met Charles on March 12.

Charles has spoken to both his sons the Duke of Cambridge, who is in Norfolk with the Duchess of Cambridge and their young children, and the Duke of Sussex, who is in Canada. He has also been in touch with the Queen.

The prince’s last public engagement was on March 12 when he attended a dinner in aid of the Australian Bushfire Appeal at Mansion House in London.

He later had a number of private meetings with Highgrove and Duchy individuals, all of whom have been made aware of the situation.

On March 10, he was with Monaco’s head of state Prince Albert II, who has since tested positive for coronavirus.

Charles is not believed to have shaken hands with Prince Albert but attended a roundtable meeting with him at the WaterAid Summit in London on that day.

The prince was pictured practising namastes instead of handshakes at his public events, including when the royals gathered for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, and a Prince’s Trust event on March 11.

Asked about the Prince of Wales testing positive for coronavirus, Scotland’s chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood said: “I’ve discussed with the team in NHS Grampian and from the information I’ve been given its clear he was tested for clinical reasons and I’m pleased also that he is well and as with many people who have had this virus he has had a mild illness.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she sends her best wishes to the Prince of Wales.

Asked about the Government’s instruction that people should not seek to escape the Covid-19 pandemic by travelling to the Highlands, she said: “We want people to behave responsibly, we don’t want people to see the Highlands and Islands of our country as places where they can outrun the virus.

“Obviously there are places where people have homes in Scotland and people will choose to go to their homes but we should all be responsible.”