Prince Charles talked about his battle with COVID-19 during his visit to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester on Tuesday.

The Prince of Wales was joined by his wife, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, on their first public engagement since he contracted the deadly COVID-19 in March. He made a surprise visit to the hospital to meet with frontliners and observed physical distancing measures while talking to them.

In a conversation with one of the hospital staff, the 71-year-old British royal candidly talked about his battle with COVID-19. He revealed that he lost his sense of taste and smell and said that it has not yet fully recovered.

"He [Prince Charles] did speak of his personal experience, so first-hand experience for him. He also spoke about his loss of smell and taste and, sort of, still felt he's still got it now," Daily Mail quoted Jeff Mills, 47, as he recalled his conversation with the royal.

Prince Charles quarantined with Camilla for nearly three months at Birkhall in Scotland when he tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, he only battled through mild symptoms. Their visit to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital is the first of their many scheduled public engagements after lockdown restrictions eased in the U.K. They will welcome French President Emmanuel Macron to the U.K. on Thursday.

"It's been a marvellous opportunity just to have a chance of seeing people I know have been doing so much - literally on the front line," Prince Charles said of his visit. "Having to endure an awful lot of stress and strain in their wonderful way - how they do it I don't know. But delivering everything in the most effective way. And the great thing they were all saying is it's brought different departments together in a way that hadn't always happened before, so there's been a great deal of marvellous co-operation I think," he added.

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“They are Britain at its best.” 👏 The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall today visited Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and thanked key staff who have been working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their Royal Highnesses spoke to a range of healthcare professionals including clinicians, volunteers, junior doctors and members of the domestic team. During the socially-distanced visit, The Duchess said: “There is nothing like being able to thank the NHS staff face-to-face even if the choreography is a little bit different! They are Britain at its best.” The Prince also praised the “marvellous cooperation” of all involved. 📸 PA

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Prince Charles previously talked about his battle with COVID-19 in an interview earlier this month where he expressed his gratitude for the well-wishes and prayers. He also expressed his relief that he got away from the disease lightly, and encouraged people to live a sustainable life to prevent any future pandemics from happening.

Prince Charles and Camilla
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Photo: Getty Images/Chris Jackson
COVID-19