Staying strong. Prince Charles shared a message of solidarity for all of those affected by the growing coronavirus pandemic and paid tribute to the dedicated healthcare workers who helped him recover after contracting the illness.
“Having recently gone through the process of contracting this coronavirus — luckily with relatively mild symptoms — I now find myself on the other side of the illness but still in no less a state of social distance and general isolation,” the 71-year-old Prince of Wales said in a video shared to the Clarence House Instagram on Wednesday, April 1. Charles appeared healthy and strong as he delivered his four-minute statement, reflecting on the big changes taking place in the world each day.
“As we are all learning, this is a strange, frustrating and often distressing experience, when the presence of family and friends is no longer possible and the normal structures of life are suddenly removed,” Charles continued. “At such an unprecedented and anxious time in all our lives, my wife and I are thinking particularly of all those who have lost their loved ones in such very difficult and abnormal circumstances, and of those having to endure sickness, isolation and loneliness.”
When Clarence House confirmed on March 25 that Charles had tested positive for the novel disease, their statement reassured that Duchess Camilla “does not have the virus.” The pair had been “self-isolating at home in Scotland” before a spokesperson for Clarence House confirmed to Us Weekly on Monday, March 30, that the prince and his 72-year-old wife had completed their period of isolation.
One day after announcing his diagnosis, Charles stated that he was “enormously touched” by the waves of well wishes that he had received as he recovered. As he addressed the worldwide viral crisis one week later, the prince reminded the people of the U.K. to stay positive through the chaos.
“As a nation, we are faced by a profoundly challenging situation, which we are too aware threatens the livelihoods, businesses and welfare of millions of our fellow citizens,” Charles concluded on Wednesday. “None of us can say when this will end, but end it will. Until it does, let us try and live with hope and — with faith in ourselves and each other — look forward to better times to come.”
While Charles is maintaining a positive outlook on his health scare, a source reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly that Prince Harry has had a hard time coping with father’s illness. After receiving his diagnosis, Charles broke the news to both Harry, 35, and Prince William over the phone in “heart-wrenching” calls.
“Despite their ups and downs, hearing that his dad is sick with a potentially life-threatening illness is a huge wake-up call [for Harry],” the insider adds. “And he’s overwhelmed with feelings of guilt for not being closer to home while this is all going on … Harry’s admitted it’s hit home that Charles and the Queen aren’t going to be around forever.” Harry, Meghan Markle and their 10-month-old son, Archie, recently moved from Canada to Los Angeles amid the pandemic.
