As the lockdown measures in the United Kingdom ease, some members of the royal family are back to work. Prince William, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Anne made their first public outings to perform their royal duties.
However, as the COVID-19 pandemic is still around, there are still some guidelines that they need to follow. So, what will be the royal family's new normal to avoid contracting coronavirus while continuously doing their public engagements?
Prince Charles and Camilla visited Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, while Prince William stopped by King's Lynn Ambulance Station at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Alternatively, Princess Anne dropped by Glousteshire Barracks. They all went out of their self-isolation to thank all the frontliners.
Compared to the usual royal visits before the lockdown occurred on March 23, royal engagements were quite different today. Handshakes were replaced with non-contact greetings, and there were so many other standard practices that they could not do anymore.
According to Daily Mail, Prince Charles just held his hands together in a prayer position to greet healthcare workers to follow the social distancing and non-contact protocols. There will also be no hands-on activities, as Prince William checked his own temperature to make sure he was not sick.
Also, there will be no walkabouts and giving out posies in any royal engagements. It seemed to be the first time that Camilla did not get a posy when they left Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Their royal visits would also be cut short. Prince Charles and his wife only spent 30 minutes when they greeted the hospital workers outside of its venue before they left.
Talking about outside venues, the royal visits will now only occurre in the outdoor area of their respective sites. Prince Charles and Camilla stayed in the grounds of the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. At the same time, Prince William also talked to the emergency workers in the outdoor area of the King's Lynn Ambulance Station.
This is to adhere to the government's order that people can only meet outside and should maintain social distancing. So, the royal family will continue to do this until this rule gets relaxed.
Prince Charles, Camilla, and Prince William's visit to the hospitals marked the first time that the royal family performed their royal duty in public after three months. The hardworking royal, Princess Anne, also went out of her isolation and visited the Duke of Gloucestershire Barracks to meet the personnel who helped the British Army respond to the pandemic, Now to Love noted. She also followed the social distancing rule, maintaining a significant distance from the employees.
