Coronavirus Forces Queen Elizabeth To Leave Buckingham Palace

Coronavirus has a lot of people worried. Many are taking precautions to slow the spread of the virus, known as COVID-19. The royal family has also had their duties impacted by coronavirus, and have cut back on engagements in order to limit exposure to the virus. Now, Queen Elizabeth is practicing some social distancing. "As a sensible precaution and for practical reasons in the current circumstances, a number of changes are being made to The Queen's diary," said Buckingham Palace in a statement.

While scheduled audiences at Buckingham Palace will proceed this week, "future audiences will be reviewed on an ongoing basis."

The monarch will also be moving from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle on March 19, a week earlier than originally planned. "It is likely The Queen will stay there beyond the Easter period," said the statement.

Like the rest of the world, Queen Elizabeth is playing things by ear. While several upcoming events have been cancelled — including Maundy Service, which is held at St. George's Chapel every year — other events are still up in the air. "Further announcements on Trooping the Colour, the 75th anniversary of VE Day and the State Visit by the Emperor and Empress of Japan will be made in due course, in consultation with Government," read the statement.

In spite of the coronavirus outbreak and all of the precautions being taken, the queen is working harder than ever. Even though she is still making limited appearances for now, that is likely to change in the near future. The Evening Standard reported that the U.K.'s health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said that people over the age of 70 will be urged to isolate in the coming weeks. This means that Queen Elizabeth, along with her heir, Prince Charles, could be self-isolated for up to four months.