Coronavirus: WHO on new variant with 'multiple mutations'

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A week after his father and head of state Grand Duke Henri entered self-isolation because he contracted Covid, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume also tested positive for the virus. The 40-year-old heir to the throne initially found out he had Covid through a positive test he performed on himself.

He immediately went into self-isolation and awaited the results of a PCR test, which confirmed the diagnosis.

The Grand Ducal Court shared the news on late Tuesday.

A statement read: “A PCR test subsequently confirmed a positive result and thus His Royal Highness remains in isolation, in accordance with the provisions of the amended law of July 17, 2020, relating to measures in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Providing reassuring news, the statement continued: “His Royal Highness is currently symptom-free and is doing well.

“He will resume his duties after the period of isolation.”

The future sovereign is expected to remain in self-isolation for 10 days, in accordance with Luxembourg’s Covid regulations.

Guillaume’s 66-year-old father continues his time in quarantine after last week’s announcement by the Court on his health state.

At the time, the Court said the sovereign was presenting mild symptoms and would “continue to carry out his duties” while working from home.

The Luxembourg royals are among the millions in Europe to have been infected over the past few days.

Approximately seven million new cases were reported across the continent in the first week of 2022 – data which has prompted the World Health Organization to warn half of Europe will have caught the Omicron variant within the next six to eight weeks.

Guillaume is the latest in a long series of members of royal families across Europe to have tested positive for Covid.

Last week, the Swedish palace announced King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia had contracted the virus.

A few days later, their firstborn Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Daniel tested positive for Covid – 10 months after they first contracted it in March 2021.

Last year, Victoria’s husband Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia also caught the virus.

In December, Crown Princess Mary became the latest Danish royal to get infected and go into isolation.

One year prior, her elder son Prince Christian had contracted COVID-19 following an outbreak at his school.

During the same month, the Queen’s daughter Princess Anne self-isolated at her home in Gloucestershire after her husband Sir Timothy Laurence tested positive for Covid.

The pair appeared together during a video call last week, as they attended remotely the Oxford Farming Conference.

Another prominent member of the Royal Family who has been touched by Covid has been Prince Charles.

In March 2020, during the first wave of infection, he tested positive for the virus and remained in quarantine for seven days at his Scottish home in Birkhall.

Speaking to NHS staff in June that year, the prince said he had experienced mild symptoms but had still not fully regained to that day his smell and taste.

Prince Albert of Monaco also got COVID-19 in March 2020.

Much like Prince Charles, he spoke about the effects of the virus lingering on him until the summer.

Speaking to People magazine, he said: “There were times during the day when it just hit, but not like the kind of drowsiness you feel after a heavy meal.

“It was really just an experience of physical fatigue, like the kind that comes on when you’ve done too much or when you’re coming off an illness.

“This virus stays with you quite a while.”

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