Meghan Markle, 38, will be reunited with Prince Harry, 35, in Britain any day as they embark on a final string of royal engagements. Meghan is due to attend the Mountbatten Music Festival for Royal Marines charities alongside Harry on Friday and will take part in an International Women’s Day celebration at the weekend.
The Sussexes are scheduled to attend the Commonwealth Service on March 9 but if coronavirus COVID-19 continues to spread the special event may be cancelled.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will cease to be senior royals from March 31 after which they will be free to pursue a more independent life outside the Firm.
They have left their nine-month-old son Archie Harrison in Canada as they wrap up things in the UK.
Meghan and Harry will probably be keen to get back to Archie as soon as their schedule in Britain is complete.
READ MORE: Harry and Meghan to join Royal family for last time
However, if UK coronavirus cases spike suddenly then there’s is a chance their last official engagement as royals will be delayed.
While Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Prime Minister Boris Johnson have both said mass gatherings will not be cancelled to contain coronavirus at this stage, they have not ruled it out in future.
Large gatherings have been banned in Italy and France to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but the UK Government has said this measure will not be implemented yet.
On Tuesday Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government’s action plan was to set out measures to deal with the COVID-19 virus when the number of cases was relatively small and also measures to delay the spread.
The plan also sets out the actions the government may have to take to mitigate it coronavirus if it becomes a pandemic.
Asked whether mass gatherings such as the London Marathon may be cancelled, Mr Hancock said: “It’s far too early to be able to tell in that instance.
“What we can say for sure is that right now, we do not recommend the cancelling of mass events, and schools as well should not be closing unless there is both a positive case and the school has had the advice to close from Public Health England.”
In a statement made in Parliament yesterday, Mr Hancock said: “Our approach is to plan for the worst and work for the best.”
He added: “Yesterday I attended a COBR meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, in which we finalised our 4-part action plan to contain, delay, research and mitigate the virus.”
“Our plan sets out what we know so far about the virus and the disease it causes, what long-term planning we have undertaken to prepare for a pandemic, what actions we have taken so far in response to the current coronavirus outbreak and, crucially, the role the public can play in supporting our response, both now and in the future.
“Mr Speaker, the UK is well prepared for infectious disease outbreaks of this kind.”
Elderly people are more vulnerable to the virus and at 93-years-old, the Queen is considered high risk.
In a bid to protect herself from getting ill the Queen wore white gloves for an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Prince Charles, 71, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 72, are also due to attend the Commonwealth Service and their ages put them in the high-risk bracket too.
Westminster Abbey seats 2,000 and the Commonwealth service will be attended by representatives from each of the 54 Commonwealth countries.
The event is due to be last time Prince Harry and Meghan attend an official event alongside Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.
Prince William and Kate are currently undertaking a three-day tour of Ireland but will return to Britain on Thursday.
The couple are likely to take on more royal duties following Prince Harry and Meghan’s royal step down.
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