COVID-19 outbreak: Queen Elizabeth II shifted from Buckingham Palace

File Image (Reuters)

London: The UK's Queen Elizabeth II left the Buckingham Palace and has been taken to the Windsor Castle with plans in place to quarantine her and Prince Philip at Sandringham if the coronavirus outbreak worsens in the country, it was reported on Sunday (March 15, 2020).

A royal source told The Sun newspaper that she was taken to Windsor, adding: "She is in good health but it was thought best to move her. A lot of her staff are a bit panicky over coronavirus."

"The Palace hosts a constant stream of visitors including politicians and dignitaries from around the world. The Queen has met a lot of people there until recently. But she is weeks away from her 94th birthday and advisers believe it is best to get her out of harm's way," the source added.

The source further said that Buckingham Palace was deemed a "much more dangerous location" as it is in the middle of London and also has a bigger staff than other estates.

"There have been no specific scares or positive tests there yet but no one wants to take any chances," the source told The Sun newspaper, adding that the Queen's court could also be moved permanently during the crisis.

The Buckingham Palace has around 500 staff, Windsor 100 and the Sandringham estate in Norfolk only a handful.

Palace garden parties for 30,000 guests in May and June are on the brink of being cancelled or postponed.

The Queen may also have to miss the Epsom Derby on June 6.

"Future events will be reviewed on an ongoing basis taking into account the appropriate advice," The Sun newspaper quoted a Palace spokeswoman as saying.

This development comes as the UK has reported 1,140 coronavirus cases and 21 deaths due to the coronavirus.