Queen Elizabeth II Tests Positive for COVID-19: Everything We Know

COVID-19 doesn't care who you are. Celebrities, CEOs and ordinary folks have all come down with the coronavirus, and it hasn't spared royalty, either. Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, Buckingham Palace said in a statement cited by the BBC. The queen is vaccinated and her symptoms have been mild, according to the statement, but the situation has forced some adjustments to her schedule. Here's what to know.

The royal basics

Queen Elizabeth II is 95, and will turn 96 in April. While the monarch's health decisions are kept fairly private, she did make it public back in January 2021 that she'd received the COVID vaccine. While she didn't make further vaccinations public, the BBC reports she "is believed to have had all her follow-up jabs." She's lived an extraordinary healthy life, with few known medical issues, and her mother, Elizabeth the Queen Mother, lived to be 101.

How serious is the queen's COVID?

Coronavirus is bound to be tougher on the elderly, but the palace described the monarch as experiencing "mild cold-like symptoms" and said she expects to continue "light duties" at Windsor Castle during the week, noting "she will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines." That's for sure. If anyone can get the best medical care, it's the queen.

On Tuesday, royal officials said the queen canceled her virtual engagements for the day. The BBC reported it's yet to be decided whether she'll carry out other planned engagements, such as her weekly phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. She's still scheduled to attend an in-person reception at Windsor Castle next week.

What about those death rumors?

At least one Twitter account reported the queen's death on Tuesday, but that looks to be untrue. Dayo Okewale, a chief of staff in Britain's House of Lords, told BNONews.com that the report about the queen's death from celebrity news outlet Hollywood Unlocked was "false," and also tweeted, "Hollywood Unlocked posting the queen is dead???? There is no credible source that verifies this. #False."

Hollywood unlocked posting the Queen is dead???? There is no credible source that verifies this. #False

— Dayo Okewale (@DayoOkewale) February 22, 2022

Many on social media mocked the unconfirmed death report. 

"As you can see, I am not dead," read the caption on an image merging the queen with superhero Black Panther.

I’m crying what member of the royal guard found the queen dead and ran to text Hollywood unlocked