Queen Elizabeth Refuses To Shake Hands At Royal Events Amidst Coronavirus Fears

Queen Elizabeth II is not taking any chances with coronavirus. Her Royal Highness was pictured forgoing handshakes at Buckingham Palace on March 10, upon meeting with Sri Lankan High Commissioner Saroja Sirisena and her husband.

Queen Elizabeth IIView galleryQueen Elizabeth II at Crathie Church near Balmoral castle ths morning
British Royals attend Crathie Church, Balmoral, Scotland, UK - 07 Oct 2018Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attends an Armed Forces Act of Loyalty Parade in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, UK, 28 June 2022.
The armed forces, represented by the Service Cadets, Band of the Royal Marines Scotland and the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, conducted a parade and presented The Queen with the key for Edinburgh Castle. The event was an opportunity for the armed forces to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in Scotland.
Armed Forces Act of Loyalty Parade, Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - 28 Jun 2022
Her Majesty The Queen will attend an Armed Forces Act of Loyalty Parade in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The event will be an opportunity for the Armed Forces to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in Scotland, and pay tribute to The Queen's role as Head of the UK Armed Forces. Her Majesty's Armed Forces will conduct a Parade and Presentation of the Key for Edinburgh Castle in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. All three services will be represented on parade, with each of the single service Senior Representatives in Scotland present, together with Service Cadets. Musical support will be provided by the Band of the Royal Marines Scotland and the Pipes and Drums of The Royal Regiment of Scotland.Queen Elizabeth IITrooping The Colour - The Queen's Birthday Parade, London, UK - 02 Jun 2022The Queen, attends celebration marking her official birthday, during which she inspects troops from the Household Division as they march in Whitehall, before watching a fly-past from the balcony at Buckingham Palace. This year's event also marks The Queen's Platinum Jubilee and kicks off an extended bank holiday to celebrate the milestone.
Image Credit: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Queen Elizabeth II is taking precautionary measures by not shaking hands at royal events amid coronavirus outbreak. Her meeting with Sri Lankan High Commissioner Saroja Sirisena and her husband, Dr. Sudath Talpahewa was photographed in front of an audience at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, where the queen was noticeably not shaking hands in a photo (seen below).

Just one day prior, the queen was observed refraining from handshakes with guests and officiants at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. Her Royal Highness was also wearing gloves during the entire ceremony — something that is said to be uncommon at investiture ceremonies.

As of March 10, it was announced that the number of cases of coronavirus in the United Kingdom totaled 373. While the queen has been taking preventative action, her grandson, Prince William is remaining calm over the spread of coronavirus. While at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin on March 4, the Duke of Cambridge cracked jokes and even questioned the severity of the outbreak during his tour of Ireland with wife, Kate Middleton.

Queen Elizabeth II

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)  

“I bet everyone’s like, ‘I’ve got coronavirus, I’m dying,’ and you’re like, ‘No, you’ve just got a cough,'” William said in a clip posted by Time last Wednesday. “It does seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment.”

He went on to joke, “By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus. Sorry.” He added, “So we’re keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop.”

William’s comments came during three-day royal tour of Ireland with Kate. Following their return to London, William and Kate reunited with his brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on Monday following Harry and Meghan’s resignation from their official royal titles.

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