Belgium's Prince Laurent has confirmed that somebody in his close family has tested positive for the new coronavirus (Covid-19).
"We do not know how, but the coronavirus has entered our household," the prince said in an interview published on Wednesday in Le Soir Mag.
Laurent did not wish to identify the family member who has been hit by the virus, saying only that hospitalisation had not been necessary and that they remained in their room until they recovered, 7sur7 reports.
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The younger brother of Belgium's King Philippe said that his wife, Princess Claire of Belgium, and their three children have been going out less frequently in accordance with the lockdown measures.
"For weeks now, we have hardly gone out—only to shop and for sports," the prince said, adding that when they went outside they wore face masks and gloves.
In the interview, the Belgian prince urged the population to be careful and said that he was considered as an at-risk person, after being hospitalised in 2014 with pneumonia.
Since March, the family of the 13th in line to the throne have been sheltering in place in their home, the Villa Clementine in the leafy southern Brussels municipality of Tervuren, which is owned by the Royal Trust of Belgium and where they live in rent-free.
Over two dozen castles, parks, villas, golf courses and other land and properties make up the Royal Trust, out of which just under a dozen are reserved for the exclusive use of the royal family.
The Brussels Times
