Queen arrives for church in Windsor – after government advise over 70’s self-isolate for 4 MONTHS

The Queen put on a defiant display as she attended Sunday church service alone in Windsor today.

Her Majesty, 93, who opted for a glamorous green ensemble, continued performing her royal duties after Matt Hancock confirmed the government will tell the elderly to stay at home for up to four months as he admitted the NHS does not currently have enough ventilators for the fight against coronavirus.  

The Health Secretary said people over the age of 70 will be told to self-isolate even if they do not have symptoms in a bid to stem the spread of the disease and protect the most vulnerable in society.

He commented ‘we don’t want to do that too soon because clearly it is not an easy thing for people to do, it is not an easy thing for people to sustain’ but he said he expected the stay-at-home advice to be issued ‘certainly in the coming weeks absolutely’.

The move will raise major questions about what the government will do to ensure elderly people are not left without food and medicine. 

It comes as a palace aide revealed the Queen is staying on at Buckingham Palace despite reports she had quit over coronavirus fears after Corbra crisis talks.

Reports last night claimed Her Majesty had been taken to Windsor Castle with plans in place to quarantine her and Prince Philip, 98, at Sandringham if the outbreak worsens. 

A royal source told The Sun: ‘She is in good health but it was thought best to move her. A lot of her staff are a bit panicky over coronavirus. 

‘The Queen has met a lot of people there until recently. But she is weeks away from her 94th birthday and advisers believe it is best to get her out of harm’s way.’ 

However, a palace insider revealed today that the monarch is expected to stay on at her central London residence.

On Friday, Her Majesty’s upcoming visits to Cheshire and Camden were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

She is also said to have been advised to cancel her annual garden parties in May and June in order to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Earlier this month the Queen is reported to have vowed not to let the outbreak stop her from performing her duties and to set an example by ‘keeping calm and carrying on’ until there is ‘compelling advice to the contrary’.

It was revealed that a building in Windsor Great Park was closed for a deep clean after three people showed symptoms similar to those of Covid-19. The Savill Building is closed over the weekend for the clean to take place.

A statement on the park’s website said: ‘As a precautionary measure we have taken the decision to close The Savill Building over the weekend to conduct a deep clean of the premises, after becoming aware of three individuals, who are showing symptoms similar to those of Covid-19, having been on site.

‘Whilst these are not confirmed cases we feel that this is a prudent step that prioritises the health and wellbeing of our employees and visitors.

‘We continue to monitor the situation and Government’s public health guidance closely. The rest of Windsor Great Park remains open as usual.’

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall had already pulled out of their spring overseas tour just days before it was due to begin, raising the prospect that more royal engagements could face cancellation in the coming weeks.

The Queen was due to visit the Bentley Motors Factory in Crewe, and the Jodrell Bank Observatory and Square Kilometre Array Global Headquarters in Macclesfield on March 19. She was also due to visit Camden on March 26, but full details of the trip had not yet been released.

Charles and Camilla had been due to start their spring tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan on March 17. It would have marked the first time a royal has visited Cyprus since the Queen in 1993.

A spokesman for the Queen said: ‘As a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances, changes are being made to The Queen’s diary commitments in the coming weeks.

‘In consultation with the Medical Household and Government, Her Majesty’s forthcoming visits to Cheshire and Camden will be rescheduled.

‘Audiences will continue as usual. Other events will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in line with the appropriate advice.’

The Queen – the nation’s longest reigning monarch – is due to turn 94 next month and the risk of more severe symptoms from the Covid-19 illness is greater for the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.

The day of engagements next Thursday would have seen the monarch travel to Cheshire to meet staff and apprentices at the Bentley factory, operate the Lovell Telescope at the observatory and meet local school children engaging in hands on science activities.

The Queen wore large gloves when she handed out honours to recipients at a palace investiture on March 3.

She also avoided shaking hands at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey and during a one-to-one audience with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner this week, but was back shaking hands with Professor Mark Compton, Lord Prior of the Order of St John, on Wednesday.  

It comes as The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall yesterday revealed they would postpone their spring tour of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The overall week-long visit had been due to start on March 17 and would have marked the first time a royal has visited Cyprus since the Queen in 1993.

Clarence House said the request came from the Government. Heir to the throne Charles and Camilla are understood to be in good health.

The tour may be replaced with engagements in the UK, but not those involving significant gatherings of people.

Charles was set to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 17 and 18, be joined by Camilla in Cyprus from March 18 to 21, and head to Jordan together until March 25.

‘Owing to the unfolding situation with the coronavirus pandemic the British government has asked their royal highnesses to postpone their Spring tour,’ a spokesman for the royal couple said yesterday.

While in Jordan, the pair would have met meet King Abdallah II and Queen Rania of Jordan and taken in a number of other sites of cultural, religious and environmental significance across the country.

And in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Charles would have seen the memorial at Srebrenica to mark the 25th anniversary of the genocide.

Cyprus, which has a population of 1.17 million, announced four more COVID19 cases yesterday taking the total to 14. In Bosnia and Herzegovina there are thought to be 11 confirmed cases. 

Announcing news of their tour in February, they wrote: ‘The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will jointly visit the Republic of Cyprus and Jordan next month.

‘Prior to this, The Prince will also visit Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the year of the 25th anniversary of the genocide, The Prince will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina where he will highlight reforms to improve citizens’ lives.

‘The Prince and The Duchess will make their first official visit to The Republic of Cyprus to recognise the work of the UN Peacekeeping Force and celebrate traditional Cypriot culture.

‘Their Royal Highnesses will visit The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to learn what the country is doing to support refugees and showcase its rich cultural history.’

Charles was due to start the tour by visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina to demonstrate the UK’s increased commitment to BiH and the Western Balkans region, its support for reforms to improve citizens’ lives.

The Prince of Wales was then to be joined by the Duchess of Cornwall on March 18, as they visit to The Republic of Cyprus to celebrate the historic ties between the United Kingdom and Cyprus.

The last leg of the tour was set to see Charles and Camilla return to Jordan from March 21 to March 25, to highlight their close ties with Jordan, underpinned by the long-standing, warm relationship between the two Royal Families.

The couple would see how the country supports its one million refugees fleeing conflict, and meet members of the Jordanian Royal Family.

The news comes after Charles shared a Namaste bow with Baroness Floella Benjamin yesterday amid the coronavirus pandemic, as she collected her damehood at Buckingham Palace. 

The pair were spotted exchanging the greeting, which avoids any unnecessary touching of hands, during the investiture ceremony.

Known to millions as the host of Play School and Play Away, Baroness Benjamin, a beloved children’s TV presenter, was recognised for her services to charity in the New Year Honours List. 

The Liberal Democrat life peer has dedicated over 40 years to campaigning for young people and supports charities including Barnardo’s, Sickle Cell Society and Beating Bowel Cancer.

After receiving her damehood, the 70-year-old, from London, said: ‘You get such a buzz from giving back and making a difference, changing the world, and to get an honour like this after these years it’s like wonderful recognition.

‘Today, it’s giving me a wonderful feeling in my heart. I haven’t done charity work for any ulterior motive but only to change people’s lives.

‘To get it, it is like wow, how exciting. But I’m still thinking: what more can I do? To me, it doesn’t end here.’

A ‘huge admirer’ of Prince Charles, Baroness Benjamin said she was ‘thrilled’ to receive her damehood from him yesterday.

Charles is not the first royal to take precautions, with the Duchess of Cornwall wearing a pair of leather gloves to shake hands with people she met at Cheltenham this week.

But the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Philips didn’t seem to have let the threat of the outbreak faze her, as she dished out hugs at the racecourse.