TORONTO -- The Queen has postponed a couple of upcoming engagements as a “sensible precaution” due to concerns about the novel coronavirus.
In a statement, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that changes were being made to the 93-year-old monarch’s schedule in the coming weeks.
“In consultation with the Medical Household and Government, Her Majesty’s forthcoming visits to Cheshire and Camden will be rescheduled,” the statement read.
“Audiences will continue as usual. Other events will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in line with the appropriate advice.”
The Queen was set to visit the towns of Crewe and Macclesfield in Cheshire, England on March 19 and the London borough of Camden on March 26.
In Cheshire, the Queen was expected to meet with employees at the Bentley Motors Factory before visiting the Jodrell Bank Observatory near Macclesfield where she was to operate the Lovell Telescope.
Details of her planned trip to Camden had not yet been released.
The announcement came days after the Queen made headlines for wearing long gloves during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, which prompted speculation she wore them to protect against the virus.
Meanwhile, the Queen’s son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla have postponed a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan. They were set to depart next week, but changed their plans due to the pandemic.
As of Friday, there have been more than 790 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths in the U.K.
