Two Duchesses having to postpone a royal reconciliation because of a plague sounds like historical fiction.
Instead, it’s basically what’s happening to Duchess Kate Middleton.
Just days ago, Kate was exposed to someone with COVID-19.
She is now self-isolating at home.
Kensington Palace has confirmed that Kate Middleton is spending time away from others at home.
Last week, the Duchess came into contact with someone who then tested positive for COVID-19.
Considering the risks involved of this contagious virus, Kate is taking no chances.
"Her Royal Highness is not experiencing any symptoms," the Palace’s statement clarified.
"But is following all relevant government guidelines," the statement continued, "and is self-isolating at home."
Earliest symptoms are often described as intense headache or a sore throat, though not all cases are identical.
Additionally, it has been confirmed by numerous outlets that Duchess Kate has received both vaccinations.
(This was largely obvious, given her status, but good to confirm nonetheless)
This should reduce her chances of infection to almost zero.
However, it is of course very sensible to take all chances.
Part of this is just about being a good person, responsibly isolating at home — as someone with the resources to do so without becoming homeless.
Another part is more pragmatic, borne of a desire to avoid a royal scandal if Kate did contract COVID-19 and pass it on.
And frankly, it doesn’t hurt for the Duchess to model good behavior.
We have all seen more than our share of atrocious, selfish behavior from people of every social tier over the past 15-16 months.
When a person who is enormously wealthy and privileged abides by the guidelines, it’s frankly refreshing.
On Friday, Kate was seen in attendance at a sporting event.
That Wimbledon outing came only a short time before she was alerted on Friday afternoon.
That is when she began to self-isolate at home.
The Palace has yet to issue any official comment on when Kate came into contact to the individual who later tested positive.
It could have been that morning. It could have, presumably, been days earlier.
The Palace’s disinclination to comment could stem from multiple motives, and does not necessarily mean that the situation is "bad."
Now, it’s understood that the Royal Household has implemented a thorough testing regime.
This means that Kate has been testing for COVID-19 twice a week, every week, using lateral flow tests.
Kate tested negative before she attended Wimbledon, and then followed the masking rules while there.
Obviously, most people cannot afford this kind of testing.
For that matter, the vast majority of the world cannot afford to self-isolate for weeks without external assistance.
Duchess Kate is extremely fortunate in numerous ways.
After multiple bouts of terrible luck with COVID-19 over the past year, the Royal Family could certainly use some good news.
Fortunately, as we all know, plenty of malicious yahoos with no regard for anyone but themselves have gone without masks or vaccines.
That’s a huge part of why the pandemic is still raging. Hopefully, Kate’s adherence to the rules will pay off for herself and for others.