The Queen tests positive for Covid

The Queen has tested positive for Covid-19, ahead of the expected ending of all coronavirus restrictions in England in the coming days.

It was confirmed she had been in direct contact with her eldest son and heir, the Prince of Wales, the week he had the virus, while a number of cases have also been reported at her Windsor Castle home.

The announcement on Sunday was made only a few weeks after the Queen, who will be 96 in April, reached her platinum jubilee of 70 years on the throne on 6 February.

Others posting messages wishing the Queen well included Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, the prime ministers of Barbados and Israel and the president of Kosovo, along with public representatives from Commonwealth countries.

While following Covid guidelines on self-isolating after testing positive, it is also likely that the Queen will be working on her red boxes, which are sent to her every day and contain policy papers, Foreign Office telegrams, letters and other state papers from government ministers and Commonwealth representatives. They have to be read and, where necessary, approved and signed.

The Queen carried out a number of official engagements virtually during the week after concerns that she may have been at risk of contracting the virus.

She was pictured on Tuesday greeting the Estonian ambassador, who spoke to her via video link from Buckingham Palace. She also received the Spanish ambassador over video link.

Her first major public engagement for more than three months was held on Saturday 5 February, the eve of her jubilee, when she met charity workers at Sandringham House, cut a celebratory cake and used a walking stick to rest on.

She is believed to have spent time with Charles on Tuesday 8 February, when he hosted an investiture at Windsor Castle. A few days later he tested positive for Covid, the second time on which he is believed to have contracted the virus, but he made a quick recovery to full health.

The Duchess of Cornwall has also tested positive for Covid, with Clarence House confirming last Monday that the duchess was self-isolating.

Just a few weeks ago, the monarch had begun to resume her normal duties, hosting her largest reception in months at Sandringham, and a few days later held her first in-person audience with the prime minister in many weeks.

She had previously spent a night in hospital in October last year and she was also absent from Remembrance Sunday commemorations in November after spraining her back, leaving other members of the royal family to honour the war dead in public.