Britain’s Prince Charles, who came out of self-isolation recently after his COVID-19 diagnosis, issued a video message of hope and "better times to come" from his Birkhall home in Scotland on Wednesday. The 71-year-old heir to the British throne, speaking for the first time since his recovery after testing positive for coronavirus last week, paid tribute to the "selfless" service of the National Health Service (NHS) staff on the frontline of the pandemic in the personalised message recounting his own experience with the disease.
“As a nation, we are faced by a profoundly challenging situation, which we are only too aware threatens the livelihoods, businesses and welfare of millions of our fellow citizens,” said Charles, the Prince of Wales.
"None of us can say when this will end, but end it will. Until it does, let us all try and live with hope and, with faith in ourselves and each other, look forward to better times to come,” he said.
The video message was recorded for Age UK, a charity for senior citizens of which Prince Charles is a patron, and is aimed at older people as well as others facing “an unprecedented and anxious time”.
In the message recorded from his desk at his Scottish home on Queen Elizabeth II's Balmoral estate, he said: "Having recently gone through the process of contracting this coronavirus – luckily with relatively mild symptoms – I now find myself on the other side of the illness, but still in no less a state of social distance and general isolation.
"As we are all learning, this is a strange, frustrating and often distressing experience when the presence of family and friends is no longer possible and the normal structures of life are suddenly removed."
He called on people to ensure key NHS people on the frontline of the coronavirus outbreak are treated with "special consideration" when coming off their exhausting duties.
"And at a time when doctors, nurses and all the vital ancillary staff that form the backbone of our remarkable NHS are increasingly under such enormous strain, and risk, as they battle heroically to save lives in intensive care centres and to contain, as much as possible, the spread of this virus, our thoughts and prayers are very much with those marvellous people whose extraordinary skills and utter, selfless devotion to duty and the care of their patients make us so very proud,” he said.
The royal was not bedridden with the virus as he continued to “work from home” through his illness, and is now out of self-isolation. His wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, had tested negative at the same time but remains in separate self-isolation in the same house until the end of this week, as per the government’s 14-day guidance.
Britain reported more than 500 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total fatalities to over 2,300.
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