[ad_1]
Prince William secretly battled the coronavirus in April, days after his father Charles contracted it, and was left “ struggling to breathe, ” according to a report.
The 38-year-old Duke of Cambridge did not reveal that he was ill because he did not want to alarm the public.
William contracted the virus in April after the Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Boris Johnson fell ill.
The duke was treated by palace physicians and quarantined at the Anmer Hall family home in Norfolk.
“Important things were happening and I didn’t want to worry anyone,” the duke said in an engagement, according to The Sun.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wear face masks during a visit to Beigel Bake Brick Lane Bakery on September 15, 2020 in London
Prince Charles speaks to the nation as he recovers from coronavirus
Some 23,254 cases were reported in the last 24 hours, 17.5% more than the 19,790 cases seen last Sunday.
Another 162 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Britain today, in the biggest increase on Sunday seen since May.
That month, William continued to work and made 14 phone calls and video calls despite sources revealing that the illness struck him.
A source told The Sun: ‘William was hit quite a bit by the virus, it really hit him for six.
At one point, he was struggling for breath, so obviously everyone around him was very scared.
“ After seeing the doctors and testing positive, which was obviously a huge shock given how fit and healthy he is, William decided he should continue as usual.
“He was determined to keep his commitments.”
Following the news that his father and the prime minister had fallen ill, William believed that publicizing his illness would only increase the nation’s anxiety.
When the queen delivered her passionate ‘We Will Meet Again’ speech, the duke decided it would be better not to increase Britain’s tension, sources said.
And despite the impact the virus had on him, the father-of-three continued to contact frontline NHS workers to tell them how “proud” he was of his commitment.
In fact, having contracted the coronavirus showed how terrible the contagion is and that it can affect anyone, a source told The Sun.
William and Kate with George, seven, Charlotte, five and Louis, two, leading the nation at the ‘Clap for Carers’ in April
On April 16, he opened Birmingham Nightingale Hospital via video link and praised the staff there for their ‘wonderful example’.
Just a few days later he appeared on Comic Relief in a pre-recorded sketch alongside Stephen Fry.
It was also filmed outside of Anmer Hall starring Kate, 38, and her children George, 7, Charlotte, 5, and Louis, 2, in the ‘Clap for Carers.’
The news comes when William and Kate took the children on a family vacation to a modest stone cabin on the Isles of Scilly for a well-earned rest.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s holiday comes as the couple presented a Pride of Britain award, on behalf of the nation, to recognize the frontline heroes of the NHS in their battle against the coronavirus.
William speaks to a patient participating in a COVID-19 vaccine trial at the Oxford Vaccine Group facility at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, West London, on June 24, 2020
William meets with scientists during a visit to the manufacturing laboratory where a new coronavirus COVID-19 vaccine was produced at the Oxford Vaccine Group facility at Churchill Hospital in Oxford, west London, on June 24, 2020.
Prince William, President of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, during a visit to The Royal Marsden in Sutton to meet with staff and patient on October 21
Kate and William met with six NHS representatives to discuss their work during the pandemic and present them with the award of special recognition at Britain’s oldest hospital, St Bartholomew’s in the City of London.
They also offered their support to television host Kate Garraway, whose husband Derek is still seriously ill in the hospital after contracting Covid-19 in March. Kate introduced the royal couple to members of the NHS.
The performance was filmed for the climax of the 2020 Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, in association with TSB, and aired Sunday night on ITV.
Thousands of members of the public nominated all the NHS front-line heroes to receive a special Pride of Britain recognition award.
MailOnline has contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
