Queen looking ‘thinner and frailer’ as she is being closely monitored amid Covid-19 diagnosis

The Queen is being “carefully monitored” by staff amid her Covid diagnosis, as there are fears over her “thinner and frailer” frame of late.

Queen Elizabeth is being “carefully monitored” by staff amid her Covid-19 diagnosis, as there are fears over her “thinner and frailer” frame of late.

The 95-year-old monarch, who it was revealed yesterday had come down with the virus, is continuing “light duties” this week as the palace is reportedly “cautioned but not alarmed” by her condition.

The British royal, who is triple-vaccinated, is only suffering from mild flu-like symptoms, though royal experts have raised concerns about her deteriorating health over the past few months.

Just last week, on February 17, she was seen carrying a cane as she told guests at Windsor Castle she “can’t move” during an official engagement.

BBC reporter Daniella Ralph said: “There are a couple of obvious aggravating factors here. Firstly that she is 95 years old, almost 96, and that immediately puts her in the vulnerable category,” she told the BBC’s Today program.

“Also when you see the Queen now she is considerably thinner and frailer than she was a year ago and of course she will now have to be carefully monitored.”

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II pictured at Windsor Castle last week. Picture: Steve Parsons / POOL / AFP

And here, in October. Picture: Steve Parsons / POOL / AFP

The Queen fell ill after it was confirmed she had been in direct contact with Prince Charles the week he had the virus.

In a statement, the Palace said she will “continue to receive medical attention” from her team of royal physicians and expects to continue “light duties” at Windsor over the coming week.

It comes after it was revealed Prince Charles and Prince William will be brought in to jointly take over the Queen’s duties by law if she becomes too sick to exercise her powers.

The legal protocol is outlined in the 1937 Regency Act, which names four “counsellors of state” that are next in line for the throne, who are the only members of the royal family who can perform some of her duties.

And there’s two surprising names on the list who could technically find themselves asked to take over her duties – Prince Andrew and Prince Harry.

Last week, the Queen carried a cane as she welcomed outgoing Defence Service Secretaries Rear Admiral James Macleod and incoming Defence Service Secretaries Major General Eldon Millar during an in-person audience at Windsor Castle. Picture: Steve Parsons / POOL / AFP

Prince Harry remains overseas and is locked in a legal battle over his demand the British Government allow him to pay for government security if he returns with his children, Archie and Lilibet Diana.

More importantly, the Regency Act requires a counsellor of state to be domiciled in Britain. Because he lives overseas, that would appear to disqualify him, despite the fact he remains on the list by law.

Meanwhile, the Duke of York has retreated from public life after a settlement rumoured to be more than $22 million was reached over a civil case brought by Perth mother-of-three Virginia Guiffre, who accused him of raping her on three occasions, a claim he strenuously denies.

Despite the fact that Princess Anne is Queen Elizabeth’s third child, she does not feature in the list of potential counsellors of state under succession laws.