Prince Philip health update: Duke 'unlikely' to attend Princess Beatrice's wedding in May
PRINCE PHILIP may be forced to miss out on the wedding of Princess Beatrice in May due to the risk the coronavirus outbreak poses to the Duke of Edinburgh's health, royal author Phil Dampier warned.
Coronavirus: Prince Philip to miss Beatrice's wedding says expert
Prince Philip has been living a rather secluded life since announcing his retirement at the age of 97 three years ago. The Duke of Edinburgh sparked concerns later last year after Buckingham Palace confirmed the senior member of the Royal Family was taken to hospital despite the Palace ensuring Philip was being monitored for a pre-existing condition. The coronavirus outbreak spreading across the UK pushed courtiers to have Prince Philip retreat to Windsor last weekend, with royal author Phil Dampier suggesting the Duke may be forced to remain isolated and miss out on Princess Beatrice's wedding in May.
Speaking to Access, Mr Dampier said: "If the coronavirus reaches Italian proportions in the UK, I seriously doubt the Duke will run the risk of travelling to London for Beatrice’s wedding.
"He has not been coming into contact with many people in recent weeks.”
Princess Beatrice, the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, is due to wed beau Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace, Central London.
The wedding is set to take place on May 29 but the new security measures the Government announced on Monday could pose a serious threat to the ceremony.
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According to the new measures, the Queen and Prince Charles, as well as Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, should immediately stop all unnecessary forms of social interaction and self-isolate if at all possible.
But Mr Dampier noted the monarch is "soldiering on" and going ahead with planning events in the coming months in the hope authorities will manage to better control the outbreak.
He continued: "The Queen is soldiering on and at moment there are no plans to cancel any of the garden parties planned for the summer.
“But if the coronavirus gets worse, I can’t imagine the palace powers-that-be will want her meeting and greeting thousands of people. Not at her age.”
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Both Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall have also opted to cancel a tour of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Cyprus and Jordan planned for later this month due to the coronavirus outbreak.
A statement from Clarence House said: "Owing to the unfolding situation with the Coronavirus pandemic, The British Government has asked Their Royal Highnesses to postpone their spring tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan."
The Queen, 93, has also taken precautions to stay safe and cancelled several royal engagements in the coming weeks.
The sovereign was set to visit Cheshire on March 19 and Camden, London on March 26, but a palace statement confirmed these would not go ahead.
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"The annual Maundy Service at St George’s Chapel on 9 April will not go ahead. Three Garden Parties hosted by The Queen, due to be held at Buckingham Palace in May, will now not take Place.
"Guests already invited to these Garden Parties will be asked to attend in 2021. Two additional Garden Parties for the Not Forgotten Association and the National Trust will also not take place. Investitures will be rearranged to later dates."