This member of the royal family is the latest to cancel engagements

published 17 March 2020

Prince Edward has cancelled all upcoming engagements as COVID-19 continues to grip the world.

The Earl of Wessex is the latest royal to take precautionary measures against Coronavirus
The Queen's youngest son postponed a dinner at St James's Palace for the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation on Monday
Prince Edward was also due to host an Anglo-Swedish Society reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday
It follows royal news that Princess Anne is stepping up her royal duties amid the pandemic

The Earl of Sussex is the latest member of the royal family to react to government guidelines surrounding the global Coronavirus pandemic.

The Queen's youngest son has taken the difficult decision to postpone or cancel upcoming royal engagements until further notice.

Prince Edward was due to host a dinner at St James's Palace on Monday to celebrate the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation, but with many guests unable to attend and Boris Johnson's advice to avoid mass-gatherings and "social distance"- the decision was taken to postpone.

With the government also advising against avoiding all unnecessary travel, it is thought an Anglo-Swedish Society reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday will also be rescheduled.

Alexander Malmaeus, chairman of the society, said, "It was due to a duty of care. The Earl of Wessex and the Anglo-Swedish Society made the decision jointly."

It comes after the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall made the decision to postpone their upcoming royal tour of Cyprus and Jordan. The focus of the trip was to explore the work of the UN Peacekeeping Force and was set to be the first royal visit to Cyrprus since the Queen’s visit in 1993.

Meanwhile, precautionary measures are being put in place to protect the Queen. Royal insiders say that Queen Elizabeth, 93, would be forced into isolation if coronavirus continues to take over the country.

Royal expert Phil Dampier said, "The Queen wore gloves to hand out medals last week.

"I can’t imagine the Palace powers will want her meeting and greeting thousands of people, particularly at her age, if the cases escalate."

Georgia writes across Woman & Home and Good to Know and specialises in all things royal. Previously labelled the "Queen of the royals," Georgia knows the whose who and what's what when it comes to the monarchy. When she's not eagerly following the royal family, Georgia enjoys shopping and self-care. She lives with this motto in mind; "if your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough."