Prince Andrew has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving.
“After undertaking a routine test the duke has tested positive for Covid and with regret will no longer be attending tomorrow’s service,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Thursday, June 2. The Service of Thanksgiving honoring the queen’s reign will take place at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, June 3.
Andrew is not the first royal to come down with COVID — the queen herself tested positive for the virus in February. A source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time that the 96-year-old monarch handled the illness “without any fuss.”
“She’s showed extraordinary courage and is thankful for all the love and support she’s received, and as long as she feels able to work that’s what she’ll continue to [do],” the insider said. “It’s typical of her selfless character and everyone is just in awe of her resolve and bravery. She’s truly one of a kind and an example to everyone around her.”
Prince Charles, who already contracted the virus in March 2020, once again tested positive in February. The heir apparent spoke to Sky News in June 2020 about his first bout of the illness.
“I was lucky, in my case, and got away with it quite lightly. I’ve had it and can still understand what other people are going through,” he said. “I feel particularly for those, for instance, who’ve lost their loved ones but were unable to be with them at the time. That’s, to me, the most ghastly thing. But in order to prevent this from happening to so many more people, this is why I’m determined to find a way out of this.”
Prince William also came down with COVID in March 2020. A source told Us at the time that the Duke of Cambridge “learned firsthand how awful this virus is and how seriously it needs to be taken.”
Although the Duke of York will not make it to Friday’s Service of Thanksgiving, Elizabeth will be joined by other members of her family, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Harry and Meghan, who stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020, watched the traditional Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday, June 2, from the Major General’s Office. Meanwhile, the queen, William, Duchess Kate, Charles, Camilla Parker-Bowles, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and other royals watched from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
In May, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson explained why Harry and Meghan would be separated from the queen during the parade.
“After careful consideration, the Queen has decided that this year’s traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance on Thursday 2nd of June will be limited to Her Majesty and those members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of the Queen,” the statement read.
Celebrations for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee will continue throughout the weekend, ending with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on Sunday, June 5.
