Having recently gone through the process of contacting this coronavirus – luckily with relatively mild symptoms – I now find myself on the other side of the illness but still in no less a state of social distance and general isolation.

As we are all learning, this is a strange, frustrating and often distressing experience when the presence of family and friends is no longer possible and the normal structures of life are suddenly removed.

At such an unprecedented and anxious time in all our lives, my wife and I are thinking particularly  of all those who have lost their loved ones in such very difficult and abnormal circumstances and of those having to endure sickness, isolation and loneliness.

As Patron of Age UK, and my wife the Patron of Silver Line, our hearts go out to all those older people throughout this country, who are now experiencing great difficulty.

However, we also know that in every community up and down this land – where people of all ages are being affected by this virus – there are truly wonderful neighbours, individuals and groups of volunteers, who are providing ceaseless care and attention to those most at risk and that all this network of selfless assistance is, in itself, helping to provide vital support and reassurance to the hard-pressed professional services.

And at a time when doctors, nurses and all the vital ancillary staff that form the backbone of our remarkable NHS are increasingly under such enormous strain and risk, as they battle heroically to save lives in intensive care centres and to contain as much as possible, the spread of this virus, our thoughts and prayers are very much with those marvellous people whose extraordinary skills and utter, selfless devotion to duty and the care of their patients make us so very proud.

Indeed, it has been so wonderful to see just how many across the United Kingdom have signed up in their hundreds of thousands to be NHS volunteers, offering their help to do whatever they can to support to those on the front line.

It is clearly essential, therefore, that such key people are treated with special consideration when doing off their exhausting duties and trying to do their shopping, for instance, while having to contend with constant anxiety about their own families and friends.

In this regard, we also think of all those many shop workers who are toiling as hard as they can throughout each and every night to keep supermarket shelves stocked –  a further ‘emergency service’ on which we are all relying.

As a nation, we are faced by a profoundly challenging situation, which we are only too aware threatens the livelihoods, businesses and welfare of millions of our fellow citizens.

None of us can say when this will end, but end it will.

Until it does, let us try and live with hope and, with faith in ourselves and each other, look forward to better times to come.

The Prince of Wales, 1 April 2020