Coronavirus: Prince William says he is worried about the Queen’s health during the pandemic

Duke says royal family are 'doing everything' they can to make sure Her Majesty is protected

The Duke of Cambridge has shared his concerns for the health of the Queen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

During an interview with the BBC to mark the launch of a new mental health campaign with the NHS and Public Health England, Prince William discussed the impact the Covid-19 outbreak is having on the royal family.

The duke said he is worried about his grandparents’ health due to their age, adding that he is doing all he can to protect them.

Last month, the Queen, 93, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, moved to Windsor Castle as a precautionary measure.

“Obviously I think very carefully about my grandparents, who are the age they're at, we're doing everything we can to make sure that they're isolated away and protected from this,” William said.

The royal also confessed to feeling worried when his father the Prince of Wales, 71, was diagnosed with coronavirus.

“I have to admit at first I was quite concerned, he fits the profile of somebody, at the age he's at, which is, you know, fairly risky, and so I was a little bit worried,” William said.

“But my father has had many chest infections, colds and things like that over the years and so I thought to myself (if) anybody's going to be able to beat this it's going to be him.”

The duke added that his father was “very lucky” to have only experienced mild symptoms.

“I got a lot of good reassurance from doctors and friends of mine who said 'listen, the days he's on when we found out about it, he's probably passed the worst of it',” William explained.

“And obviously speaking to him made me feel more reassured that he was OK, but again at that age you do worry a bit more.”

The Duchess of Cambridge also spoke candidly about the outbreak, adding that the “extraordinary job” NHS staff and other frontline workers are doing will “dramatically change” how people value them in the future.

Kate Middleton said the higher status of doctors, nurses, care home workers, and others will be “one of the main positives” to come out of the coronavirus crisis.

When the duchess was asked whether the Covid-19 outbreak would fundamentally change who we are and what we value, she replied: “Yes absolutely.

“I think what we're seeing now is the NHS and the frontline workers are doing the most extraordinary job and that's really come to the forefront in the last few weeks. And I think it's going to dramatically change how we all value and see our frontline workers and I think that is one of the main positives that you can take from this.

“They do an extraordinary job, it goes unrecognised daily and now I think all of us as a nation can really see how hard they work and how vital their work is.”

The comments come as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launch a new campaign designed to encourage people to look after their mental health during lockdown.

The campaign, called “Every Mind Matters” is targeted at those most at-risk of poor mental health and urges everyone to sign up for a tailored “Covid-19 mind” plan online.

The royal couple say in the video accompanying the launch: “All over the country people are staying at home to protect the NHS and save lives. It’s not always easy.

“We can feel frustrated, miss loved ones or get anxious. So now more than ever, Every Mind Matters.”