Messages wishing Queen Elizabeth well poured in Sunday after Buckingham Palace announced the 95-year-old monarch had tested positive for COVID-19.
“I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing Her Majesty The Queen a swift recovery from Covid and a rapid return to vibrant good health,” embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter.
“I’m sorry to learn that Her Majesty The Queen has Covid, and I know the thoughts of us all will be with her over the coming days,” Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle said Sunday morning in a tweet. “I’d like to wish her a speedy recovery and a swift return to good health.”
Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, tweeted, “On behalf of myself and the whole of @UKLabour, wishing Her Majesty The Queen good health and a speedy recovery.
“Get well soon, Ma’am,” he added.
“Wishing Her Majesty The Queen a quick recovery,” tweeted Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
Buckingham Palace announced Queen Elizabeth tested positive for COVID-19.Steve Parsons-WPA Pool/Getty ImagesNigel Farage, a broadcaster and former British politician, said the infection showed how crucial the Queen is to the nation.
“The thoughts of huge numbers of people all over the world will be with the Queen as she tests positive for Covid,” he wrote. “At a moment like this, we realize just how important to us she is.”
Posted former British soccer player Gary Lineker, “Wish her a speedy and full recovery.”
Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth is suffering “mild cold-like symptoms.”Stuart C. Wilson/Getty ImagesSadiq Khan, the mayor of London, also offered his well wishes.
“The commitment Her Majesty the Queen has shown to our country continues to be unwavering,” said on Twitter. “Wishing her a swift and safe recovery from Covid-19.”
Everyday Brits expressed similar sentiments, effusively praising her.
“She’s an icon, she’s an icon of the UK: she is an epitome of the UK in some ways, most people in the country have never known any monarch other than her,” said Steven Stepanian, who works as a consultant in London, according to Reuters.
Queen Elizabeth intends to continue with light duties at her Windsor Castle residence.JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty ImagesShashi Vandrevala, a 72-year-old retiree, told the outlet, “She has to get better, we can’t afford to lose her yet.”
In a statement early Sunday, Buckingham Palace announced that the British monarch is experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms” and will continue with “light duties” over the next week.
“She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines,” it read.
The news comes after her eldest son, Prince Charles, earlier this month tested positive for the coronavirus for the second time. The Queen’s daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall contracted COVID-19 four days later.
Queen Elizabeth’s COVID-19 diagnosis comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the UK.JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty ImagesThe sovereign was then closely “monitored” after she came in contact with her son days before his COVID-19 diagnosis, before it was reported she’d return to work following negative tests.
Last week, the Queen carried out her first official duties since concerns she may have caught COVID-19 from her son, holding virtual media from Windsor Calls with the Estonian and Spanish ambassadors.
On Wednesday, the monarch said she had trouble moving as she met with incoming Defense Services Secretary Maj. Gen. Eldon Millar at Windsor Castle, where she held her first in-person appearance since Prince Andrew settled a multimillion-dollar sexual assault lawsuit.
Andrew has been stealthily making visits to the Queen without the paparazzi tracking his every move, according to a report Saturday. The disgraced royal snuck over to Windsor Castle from his home every night last week to discuss his future with the monarchy, The UK Sun reported.
Last week, Queen Elizabeth carried out her first official duties since concerns she may have caught COVID-19.Stuart C. Wilson/Getty ImagesThe news also comes as Johnson is set to on Monday announce the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the UK via a “Living With COVID” plan.
But royal commentator Alastair Bruce on Sky News reportedly said the queen “would not want anyone to change any decisions on the basis of her state of health.”
“I think for a very feisty and determined lady of her mid-90s, she is more than ready to deal with what she faces,” he said Sunday on the network, according to news agency AFP.