Buckingham Palace on Tuesday March 17, announced that Queen Elizabeth canceled her annual garden parties and will leave London for Windsor Castle earlier than planned because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Queen Elizabeth who will meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and also carry out small duties at the palace in the next few days, will remain in Windsor beyond the Easter period. The palace described the changes as “a sensible precaution”.
The statement reads in part;
“In consultation with the Medical Household and government, a number of public events with large numbers of people due to have been attended by the queen, and other members of the royal family, in the coming months will be canceled or postponed.”
It was further gathered that the annual Maundy Service at St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle on April 9 will not go ahead. Planned investitures which are events at which members of the public receive honors from a member of the royal family will also be rearranged.
The British government had urged people especially those over 70, to avoid “non-essential” contact with others for 12 weeks to slow the spread of the virus, which appears to be a greater risk for the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
It is expected that announcement on if a planned state visit by the Emperor of Japan should go ahead, will be made later.
According to the latest figures this afternoon from the Department of Health and Social Care, 1,950 people in the UK have tested positive for Covid-19 – up by 407 from the day before. 67 British citizens have also died from the virus since it was confirmed in the country.
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