Swedish Royal Family Postpones Official Dinner Due to Coronavirus in the Country
Even palace plans are not immune to the coronavirus.
King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden have postponed an official dinner scheduled for March 4 due to cases of coronavirus (officially termed COVID-19) being detected in the country.
“Awaiting further development of events, Their Majesties, as hosts, choose to postpone the Official Dinner that was planned to be held at the Royal Palace on Wednesday, 4 March,” reads a statement on their website. “This is done out of consideration for the invited guests.”
The white-tie dinner takes place at the palace in Stockholm and is held a few times each year to celebrate people who have made contributions to Sweden.
“In recent days, a number of cases of infection from the novel coronavirus have been detected in Sweden,” the press release added. “The Public Health Authority considers the risk of detecting cases of covid-19 in Sweden to be high, but the risk of the infection spreading is considered low.”
As of March 2, coronavirus has spread to over 60 countries with over 88,000 people infected. The global death toll has surpassed 3,000, the Washington Post reports.
As coronavirus continues to infect people across Europe and the world, French officials have decided to close down the famed Louvre Museum. Italy has been the hardest-hit country in Europe so far, reporting a 50 percent jump in cases in just 24 hours and a current death toll of at least 34.
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There are 88 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S., 28 of which are due to community spread, meaning people with coronavirus are unknowingly exposing people in their areas to the disease. Experts believe more cases in the U.S. will be confirmed as disease testing becomes more widely available.
However, the Swedish royals still have cause for celebration: Monday marks Prince Oscar’s fourth birthday. The king’s grandson — the son of Crown Princess Victoria and Crown Prince Daniel — was honored on their social media pages with new portraits, including one that featured his 8-year-old sister Princess Estelle.
