Prince Charles is the first member of the royal family to openly issue a message of thanks to those who were involved in making the COVID-19 vaccine rollout possible in the United Kingdom this week.
During his visit to the Salisbury Cathedral with his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles gave an emotional speech about the first vaccination. On Tuesday, Dec. 8, various hospitals across the country will start with the much-needed virus prevention procedure.
The Prince of Wales said that hope has finally been renewed because of all the workers involved in providing the vaccines. He was at the cathedral to mark its 800th year, but Prince Charles also said that it'd been a timely visit since the "glorious building" has been keeping the "flame of faith alive" through many trials and tragedy, including the coronavirus pandemic.
The heir to the throne and his wife were wearing face masks and observing social distancing for most of their visit to the cathedral. They were welcomed by the Very Reverend Nicholas Papadopulos, the Dean of Salisbury.
Around 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines have been distributed across 50 hospitals and care facilities in England. Prince Charles and Camilla, who are both over 70 years old, belong to the fourth group on the priority list of the vaccine rollout.
It is understood that the royal family will not skip the priority list as the U.K. government said there would be no preferential treatment. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who are over 90 years old, won't receive the first jabs since they are part of the second group. The first people to get the doses are those living in-home care, as well as their carers.
Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19 in late March, just as the royal family scaled down on their royal engagements to follow the lockdown orders. Fortunately, the Prince of Wales had mild symptoms only and recovered after a week of isolation in his home in Birkhall in Balmoral, Scotland.
His eldest son, Prince William, also contracted the virus in April and was isolated at his home in Anmer Hall in Norfolk. The Duke of Cambridge, however, didn't reveal his condition to the public until November.
Meanwhile, Prince Charles and Camilla are likely going to return to Birkhall to spend their Christmas holiday. With the Queen and Prince Philip remaining in isolation at Windsor Castle, the royal family Christmas in Sandringham has been canceled this year. However, it is understood that Prince Charles might make a short visit to his mother and father during the holiday break, while Camilla is expected to spend time with her children from her first marriage on Christmas Day.
