How the Royal Family Is Handling the Coronavirus Crisis

From Town & Country

Like everyone else right now, the royal family is navigating the new normal brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. They're worried about older members of their family (like the Queen and Prince Charles) contracting the virus; they're settling in to working from home; and trying their best to homeschool their kids as schools remain closed.

The royals certainly have privileges many people don't—notably, the Queen's closest relatives have all reportedly escaped crowded London for their second homes in the country. But they're also tasked with boosting the morale of a nation, and with continuing to prove their worth and their relevance, even as executing their core duties has been rendered impossible by social distancing requirements.

Here, we take a look at how the royals are handling the coronavirus, from William's reaction to Prince Charles's diagnosis to the Queen's historic speech.

Prince Charles's Diagnosis

The crisis hit home for the royals early on. Just a few days after Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered a lockdown of the UK, Clarence House confirmed that Prince Charles had tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing mild symptoms.

Both he and Camilla received tests from the NHS at their home in Scotland on the Balmoral Estate; Camilla tested negative, and both royals entered into a period of self-isolation.

While there was some question as to how Charles and Camilla were tested, given that he only experienced mild symptoms. Clarence House noted that both royals "met the criteria required for testing."

Scotland’s Chief Medical officer also issued a statement about their testing, which reads:

Prince Charles is said to have remained in “good spirits” over the course of his illness. But Prince William was "quite concerned" about his father in the beginning.

"I have to admit at first I was quite concerned," William said, when asked about his dad's diagnosis in a recent BBC interview. "He fits the profile of somebody of the age he's at, which is you know fairly risky, and so I was a little bit worried." (Watch that full interview here.)

But Prince Charles seems to have fully recovered from the disease. On March 30, Clarence House confirmed that the Prince of Wales had left isolation. And while Camilla stayed in isolation for a few days longer, as was recommended by her doctor, they have since reunited, and are both back to work, albeit from home.

Working from Home

These days, it's anything but business-as-usual for the royals. Their typical slate of duties—visiting charities, opening bridges, and greeting the public—is strictly off-limits given current social distancing recommendations, so they're getting creative with how they connect with the public and the causes they support while they work from home.

William and Kate have made supporting essential workers their "top priority" in the months ahead through their backing of the new platform Our Frontline, a mental health resource for those on the front lines of the coronavirus fight. They've also voiced a PSA about the disease and have been writing messages of hope and gratitude to their patronages, thanking those on the front lines fighting the disease for their efforts.

Prince Philip, too, recently issued a rare public statement thanking the essential workers "who ensure the infrastructure of our life continues," including those in the food production and service industries, postmen and women, and people who work in waste management.

Leave it to the royals to also find a way to virtually "open" buildings. Just a few days after leaving self-isolation for his COVID-19 diagnosis, Prince Charles helped to mark the opening of NHS Nightingale Hospital, a conference center in London which has been adapted into a temporary medical facility, with a video call. William and Camilla have since followed suit and participated in similar ceremonies.

And they're using video-conferencing platforms like Zoom to conduct interviews and meetings with charitable organizations without ever leaving the house.

Fortunately for curious royal watchers, those virtual meetings offer a peek inside their private residences. See a few of those photos below:

Boosting Morale

In addition to supporting causes that are now more important than ever, the royals are charged with helping to boost the morale of the public during a crisis. During the coronavirus pandemic, that means participating in campaigns like #clapforourcarers, sharing pictures of how they are handling social distancing (see Prince Louis's adorable rainbow-colored birthday portraits), and taking part in fundraising efforts like Comic Relief's The Big Night In, even if that means Prince William is the butt of more than a few jokes.

Watch that sketch below:

The Queen's Historic Speech

After issuing a statement promising that the public could "be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part," the Queen delivered a speech from Windsor Castle, reassuring her people about the coronavirus crisis.

The British monarch's "deeply personal" address marked only the fifth time she has spoken directly to the public in a televised broadcast outside of her annual Christmas speeches.

Watch the speech, which ended with the poignant message, "We will meet again," in full below, or read the transcript right here.

Dealing with Everyday Life in a Crisis

It's tough to say the royals are ever truly "just like us," but they are dealing with some of the same struggles and silver linings as everyone else during this difficult time. For example, when Prince Charles was diagnosed with COVID-19, he spent at least some of his quarantine watching funny videos on the Internet.

"We have seen the very best use of technology," he wrote in the new issue of Country Life magazine, "allowing people to keep working, but also to keep in touch through virtual parties, games, singing—and some of the funniest videos I have seen for a long time!"

Like many parents, William and Kate are also homeschooling their two older children right now, an experience Kate described as "challenging" in a recent interview with the BBC.

"The children have got such stamina," Kate said, sharing what a typical day looks like in their household right now. "You pitch a tent, take the tent down again, cook, bake. You get to the end of the day—they've had a lovely time, but it's amazing how much you can cram into a day, that's for sure."

She and William also shared that the kids are staying connected with other family members via video calls.

"It gets a bit hectic, I'm not going to lie. With a two-year-old you have to take the phone away," Kate said. (Apparently Louis likes to hang up before the call is over!) "But it's nice to keep in touch with everybody."

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