Covid-19 and the Royals

$Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the headquarters of MI5 at Thames House on February 25, 2020 in London, England. MI5 is the United Kingdom\'s domestic counter-intelligence and security agency. (Photo by Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty Images)$

Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the headquarters of MI5 at Thames House on February 25, 2020 in London, England. MI5 is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency. (Photo by Victoria Jones - WPA Pool/Getty Images)Getty: Images

We certainly are living in the strangest of times

Coronavirus, otherwise known as Covid-19, broke out in Wuhan, in the Hubei province in China sometime in late November. Since then, the virus has travelled across Asia, throughout Europe, and now into the United States and the rest of the world.

While the virus is not a guaranteed death sentence by any means, it can have more fatal consequences for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

Countries around the world are taking extremem measures to combat the virus and try to stop its spread.

Across Europe nations are closing their borders and ordering their citizens to stay indoors, and work from home if possible. Schools and universities are being closed also.

The UK has been somewhat slow to react to the virus compared to the rest of Europe. Schools and universities remain open, and large gatherings are still allowed, despite the risks they present in spreading the infection.

How is it affecting the Royal Family?

One thing that has become clear throughout this whole ordeal is that the coronavirus is not hampered by borders, class, or race. We have seen the infection spread across the very top tier of society, with celebrities such as Tom Hanks, politicians around the world, and famous athletes becoming infected.

This begs the question, what is the plan for the Royal Family in dealing with this virus?

Queen Elizabeth, at 93 years old, certainly falls into the 'at risk' category when it comes to the virus.

With this in mind, the Queen's team of minders and doctors will be taking every possible precaution to ensure her safety and health.

The palace released a statement on Saturday, and had this to say - 'For practical reasons in the current circumstances, changes are being made to The Queen's diary commitments in the coming weeks. In consultation with the Medical Household and Government, Her Majesty's forthcoming visits to Cheshire and Camden will be rescheduled.'

Read more: Queen Elizabeth - In Ghana

It is of course a shame that events need to be cancelled, but public health of course comes first in these situations. The nature of Queen Elizabeth's work means that she is constantly shaking hands and meeting new people, making it a potential breeding ground for Covid-19.

Prince Charles has also made the neccessary changes to his usual routine.

At the Prince's Trust Awards earlier this month, he could be seen refusing handshakes and instead greeting guests with the 'namaste' gesture. Have a look in the video below.

William and Kate

William and Kate typically spend the second half of March out of the public eye, so their Royal engagements remain largely unaffected.

They do of course have a young family to think about. While schools are yet to be closed in the UK, the calls for this to happen are increasing by the day.

Many are questioning British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's leadership at this sensitive time. The man has been hard to get a hold of since the virus really started to take off in the country.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's current situation is unknown, but many belive the pair will return to Canada to see out the impending travel restrictions that will no doubt soon be brought into effect.