Prince Albert II has tested positive for COVID-19, Monaco's royal palace has announced. In a statement, the palace revealed that Albert was tested at the beginning of the week, and remains in a good state of health. He will be monitored closely over the coming days, and is currently under the supervision of his attending physician and specialists at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, however is not in hospital himself. Prince Albert continues to work from the office in his private apartments and is in constant communication with members of his cabinet.
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The prince isn't the only royal to have tested positive for coronavirus in recent weeks. Karl von Habsburg, the Archduke of Austria, has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and is now being quarantined. The 59-year-old, who is the head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, confirmed the news in a phone call on the Austrian TV channel oe24. "It's annoying, but I'm fine. It's not the black plague," he said. "I thought it was the usual flu. When a friend called me that he had a positive test at a congress in Switzerland, I was also tested." The Archduke went on to praise the Austrian authorities for acting "with measure and goal". He added, "Panic is not brought in."
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Prince Albert II has tested positive for COVID-19
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It comes after Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia revealed that they had also been tested for coronavirus. The royal couple decided to go ahead as a precaution after Letizia came in contact with a government official who subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus. On Friday, the Spanish royal house released a statement confirming that the king and queen had been given the all-clear. It read: "The results of the tests of the COVID-19 carried out yesterday to Their Majesties are negative. Following the recommendations of the health authorities, Her Majesty the Queen will remain without activities and will carry out the periodic temperature taking controls required in these situations."
The coronavirus outbreak has affected numerous royal events, including the postponement of the Monaco royal family's annual Rose Ball and Queen Mathilde of Belgium’s state visit to Italy. Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark have also pulled their four children out of school in Switzerland due to the pandemic.
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