Queen Elizabeth II during the Coronavirus Outbreak

Queen Elizabeth II. Image from Defense Images under Creative Commons license. 

The coronavirus outbreak has proven a difficult time for our beloved royals, more so for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Royals aren’t immune to the virus. In fact, PrinceCharles tested positive and several palace staffers got infected, as well. Here’s a list of royals who weren’t spared from this disease. Considering the age of the queen and Prince Philip, drastic measures were taken to ensure their safety. The royal couple are now at Sandringham estate after their end-of-summer stay at Balmoral. Palace staff also shared that the queen might return to Buckingham Palace this year for special audiences and engagements if strict COVID-19 protocols are arranged.  

According to the official press release, "The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will depart Balmoral Castle during the week commencing 14th September to spend time privately on the Sandringham estate.”

The press release continues: "Subject to the finalisation of the autumn programme, Her Majesty's intention is to return to Windsor Castle in October and to resume the use of Buckingham Palace for selected audiences and engagements. These plans will be kept under review and will of course be subject to all relevant guidance and advice.”

Before to their Scottish holiday, the monarch and Prince were whisked into safety at the confines of Windsor Castle. Other members of the British royal family were also placed at strict physical distance protocol while on quarantine in their respective homes.

Their isolation, though, has limited the queen’s engagements and the younger royals would have to stand-in on her behalf. The queen has made only brief public appearances for the sake of her safety. These include bestowing a knighthood to the 100-year-old Captain Tom Moore after raising millions of dollars for COVID-19 relief. She also attended the surprise royal wedding for her granddaughter Princess Beatrice.

At the height of the lockdown, the queen, has maximized her strong social media clout to reach out to millions of royal followers around the world. Since moving to Windsor Castle last March, the Queen has addressed the nation twice in a span of seven weeks!

Her first was a special broadcast on April 5, where the monarch thanked people for following government rules to stay at home and praised those "coming together to help others". She also thanked key workers, saying "every hour" of work "brings us closer to a return to more normal times".

"Never give up, never despair," was what the Queen Elizabeth II said in her second message, in time for the 75th anniversary of the Victory in Europe (VE) Day on May 8.  Her rousing message was a tribute to those who fought for freedom and peace, and at the same time, a call for everyone to never give up in these trying times.  The Queen also made reference to the country’s current lockdown and the huge casualties that coronavirus had claimed.

The Queen also participated in a tribute for International Nurses Day on May 12, where she was joined by other members of the Royal Family. The monarch can be heard at the start of the video in a telephone call to medical staff, where she praised nurses for having "quite an important part to play recently" in light of this health outbreak.

Queen Elizabeth II to trim costs as COVID-19 hits income

One of the bad news to the hit the queen this year is the slump on the Royal Family’s income. The Queen is facing a 35 million pound ($45 million) drop because of the coronavirus and the shortage of tourists, who pay to see the royal residences.

According to the Keeper of the Privy Purse Michael Stevens, the drop in the number of visitors to the royal buildings is likely to lead to a funding shortfall of 15 million pounds ($19 million) for the next three years. The pandemic is also likely to cause a 20 million-pound ($25.4 million) deficit in the 10-year, 369-million-pound modernization program at Buckingham Palace that will see the replacement of antiquated heating, plumbing and wiring at the queen’s London residence. The palace underwent its last major upgrade after World War II. To address these problems, Buckingham Palace has already laid off staff and froze hiring.

Barbados Breaks Away with the Crown

Another sad news from Barbados, the Caribbean island of Barbados is set to remove Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state as the nation transitions to a republic by November 2021. Barbados, which gained independence in 1966, is the first country since 1992 to remove the queen. The last country to do so was Mauritius in 1992. Queen Elizabeth II, however, continues to reign in over 14 countries aside from the United Kingdom.  

“The time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind,” Barbados Governor General Sandra Mason said in a speech on behalf of Prime Minister Mia Mottley, which announced the country’s decision to remove the Queen. “Barbadians want a Barbadian Head of State. This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving.”

The Queen mourns the death of her ponies

Another cause for heartbreak that the 94-year-old Queen has to deal with was the death of five of her beloved Highland ponies, including two stallions. These deaths were caused by equine grass sickness. The ponies were being kept at Balmoral as part of a programme meant to preserve the rare breed The deadly disease is thought to be triggered by toxins which attack the nervous system and eventually paralyse the animal's gut.

Princess Beatrice’s Pandemic Wedding

One reason to rejoice despite the gloom brought by the pandemic was the surprise wedding of Princess Beatrice and her fiancé Count Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi last July 17.  The wedding was an intimate ceremony, with only 20 guests around, including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Andrew, and Sarah, Duchess of York.  The wedding was originally scheduled last May 29, with the queen supposedly throwing a private banquet for the couple. However, the health outbreak has forced the couple to postpone the event, opting instead for this quiet but charming wedding  at the Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. The wedding evoked a sense of nostalgia as the bride chose to wear the queen's Norman Hartnell dress and the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara that the queen had worn on her wedding day in 1947.  

Princess Eugenie is Pregnant!

The queen’s granddaughter, Princess Eugenie, the younger daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, is pregnant and will give birth early next year. The announcement was made by Buckingham Palace. The queen and Prince Philip are definitely delighted to welcome their ninth great-grandchild. Princess Eugenie tied