Elizabeth II, queen of the UK and the world's oldest monarch, will return to Buckingham Palace on Monday, after being shifted to the Windsor Castle as a preventive measure to protect her from the coronavirus epidemic in the country, said reports.
A senior aide, categorically denying reports that the Queen had quit Buckingham Palace over coronavirus fears, told the Daily Mail on Sunday night: "I fully expect the royal standard will be flying at Buckingham Palace tomorrow as it does usually."
'Sensible approach' by Buckingham Palace
The development comes after a newspaper report claimed on Saturday that the Queen had "quit" her official royal residence and been "whisked" to Windsor Castle. Buckingham Palace has been taking what officials describe as a "sensible approach" to the COVID-19 threat.
Two weeks ago, the Queen was seen wearing gloves as she conducted an official investiture at the Palace. She has since decided as a matter of "personal preference" to stop shaking hands. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have cancelled their spring tour to Bosnia, Cyprus and Jordan this week on the advice of the Government. They were hoping to schedule in some small-scale UK engagements.
Daily televised updates
The UK government will hold daily televised press conferences to update the public on the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Downing Street said. From Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson or a senior minister will address the media to ensure people are informed about how to protect themselves, the BBC quoted.
This announcement comes at a time when the outbreak seems to be gaining momentum within the country. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK has jumped by 232 in just one day, while 14 more people have died, taking the total number of infections and fatalities to 1,395 and 35, respectively, as of Monday.
(With inputs from agencies)
