The Queen has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace confirmed today.
Her Majesty, 95, is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor Castle over the coming week.
She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all appropriate guidelines.
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WATCH: The Queen tests positive for COVID-19
It's understood that a number of cases have been diagnosed in the team at Windsor Castle.
Last week, the Queen carried out virtual audiences from her Berkshire abode and also met with incoming Defence Services Secretary Major General Eldon Millar, and his predecessor Rear Admiral James Macleod on Wednesday.
The Queen is understood to be triple vaccinated but she had been on doctors' order to rest since mid October, after cancelling a run of engagements and spending a night in hospital undergoing preliminary tests.
MORE: The Queen shares mobility problem during in-person appearance
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© Photo: AlamyThe Queen held an in-person audience at Windsor on Wednesday
She is believed to have spent time with her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, on Tuesday 8 February, when he hosted an investiture at her Windsor Castle home, and a few days later he tested positive for Covid but made a quick recovery to full health.
Prince Charles, 73, made his first public appearance with the Princess Royal, 71, on Friday to present The Queen's Anniversary Prizes for higher and further education in a ceremony at St James's Palace.
The Duchess of Cornwall has also tested positive for Covid, with Clarence House confirming on Monday 14 February that Camilla was self isolating.
© Photo: Getty ImagesCharles and Camilla have both recently tested positive for COVID-19
It comes after the Queen also indicated she was experiencing some mobility problems. In an ITV News video of her in-person audience, the monarch, who was standing with the aid of a walking stick, pointed to her left leg or foot, and commented: "Well, as you can see, I can't move."
Her Majesty is understood to have been feeling slightly stiff, rather than suffering from an injury or illness.
Earlier this month, the Queen marked the start of her Platinum Jubilee year and hosted a tea party at Sandringham the day before her milestone.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen hosted a tea party at Sandringham on 5 February
She was also seen using a cane that previously belonged to her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away aged 99 in April 2021.
Her Majesty has spent much of the pandemic in the safety of Windsor Castle, protected in 'HMS Bubble', the nickname given to her reduced household of dedicated staff.
The Queen is the latest monarch from around the world to catch Covid. Queen Margrethe of Denmark, 82, and Spain's King Felipe VI, 54, both tested positive for the illness on February 9.
British royals who have tested positive for COVID-19
Heir to the throne Charles tested positive for the virus for a second time in February 2021, after contracting COVID-19 in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic.
He had mild symptoms then and lost his sense of smell and taste. He isolated at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire.
The Duke of Cambridge, now 39, had the virus in April 2020 but it was not made public until seven months later, with The Sun newspaper revealing that Prince William did not want to alarm the nation.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince William contracted the virus in April 2020
The Duke, who carried on with telephone and online engagements, was treated by royal doctors as he isolated in Norfolk but that he was hit "pretty hard" by the virus and at one stage struggled to breathe, the newspaper said.
In December 2021, the Princess Royal's husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence tested positive, meaning he and Anne could not join the Queen on Christmas Day at Windsor Castle.
Princess Michael of Kent, 77, who is married to the Queen's cousin Prince Michael of Kent, suffered severe symptoms when struck down with Covid-19 in November 2020. She is understood to have had bad lungs as a child making her more susceptible to the disease.
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