Prince Charles and Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson, had contracted the coronavirus in March.
While the world was and is still struggling with the ongoing pandemic, the COVID-19 virus didn't spare even the biggest of celebrities or the royals. In June of this year, there were reports that Prince Charles had contracted the coronavirus in March 2020, when it was just the beginning of the spread of the virus in the UK.
The Sky News reported him saying that he was "lucky" to have recovered from the deadly virus. He said, "I was lucky in my case... I got away with it quite lightly, but I've had it, and I can so understand what other people have gone through."
Now reports have emerged that Prince William, too, battled the virus in April just days after his father had contracted it. The illness was kept a secret because the 38-year-old didn't want to create more panic in the public than there was already.
The Daily Mail reported that The Duke of Cambridge caught it right after Prince Charles and the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, did. It was also the time when more than 50,000 cases had been recorded in the UK with people dying in thousands due to the virus. While being treated by the palace physicians, he was quarantined at the family home of Anmer Hall in Norfolk.
"There were important things going on and I didn't want to worry anyone," said Prince William as per The Sun. He believed that his father and the Prime Minister falling sick at the same time is frightening as is, so the news of him catching the same would add to the anxiety of the people of the country, said sources.
"William was hit pretty hard by the virus - it really knocked him for six. At one stage he was struggling to breathe, so obviously, everyone around him was pretty panicked," continued the source.
"After seeing medics and testing positive - which was obviously quite a shock given how fit and healthy he is - William was determined it should be business as usual though. He was determined to fulfill his engagements," the source added further.
Despite his health problem, Prince William made sure to keep in contact with the NHS workers and appreciate them for all their work and commitment. He made 14 phone calls and video calls that month.
The source revealed that the father of three realized just how dangerous the virus is. "As a result of his own experiences, he realizes absolutely anyone can catch this awful disease and knows how imperative it is that we all take this second lockdown seriously," said the source.
Prince William had called Queen’s Hospital Burton's staff after the death of consultant Amged El-Hawrani, 55 on April 1. After taking a seven-day-long break from any type of calls, the Duke of Cambridge opened the NHS Nightingale hospital in Birmingham on April 16 via video call and once again praised the staff for their exceptional work.
A few days later, he appeared on Comic Relief alongside Stephen Fry in a pre-recorded sketch. He was also seen with wife Kate, 38, and his children—George, 7; Charlotte, 5; Louis, 2—in the Clap for Carers, outside Anmer Hall.
Recently, during the filming of a clip to honor the NHS that was aired during the Pride of Britain awards on November 1, The prince told Good Morning Britain TV presenter Kate Garraway that he and his wife wanted to give her a hug after hearing about her husband who's is fighting COVID-19 and is in a critical condition, reported The Daily Mail. The royals were really moved by the struggle of her husband Derek Draper, who has been battling the virus for six months now.
On the show, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge presented awards to six representatives of the NHS from St Bartholomew, Britain's oldest hospital, to recognize the efforts and dedication of the NHS workers against the novel coronavirus.
The Duchess is said to have self-quarantined after Prince William contracted the virus but Kensington Palace has refused to make any comments.
References:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13080634/prince-william-secret-covid-battle/
