Covid 19 coronavirus: Prince Charles reveals lingering effect of coronavirus

Prince Charles revealed his sense of smell and taste may not have fully recovered yet. Photo / Getty Images

The Prince of Wales has revealed he lost his sense of smell and taste when he caught coronavirus.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall made an unannounced visit to a hospital to meet frontline NHS staff and key workers - their first royal engagement with the public since the coronavirus outbreak began.

After Charles and the Duchess met staff from a number of trusts at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, he said: "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.

"And 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."

Prince Charles revealed his sense of smell and taste may not have fully recovered yet. Photo / Getty Images

The prince spoke to Jeff Mills, 47, a healthcare assistant from Cheltenham General Hospital, about contracting Covid-19 in March after developing mild symptoms.

Mills said: "He 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."

With lockdown restrictions being eased, the royal family have chosen this week to take a step towards a return to normality - with a series of face-to-face public engagements.

Charles and Camilla met the workers in the grounds of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester, with everyone following social distancing guidelines and standing two metres apart.

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It came as the Princess Royal was due to visit the nearby Duke of Gloucester Barracks to see military personnel being tested for Covid-19 before heading overseas.

On Thursday, the Prince and Duchess will welcome French President Emmanuel Macron to the UK.

Their visit to Gloucester followed the appearance by the Queen on Saturday at a mini Trooping the Colour ceremony at Windsor Castle - the first time any member of the royal family had attended a national event since lockdown.

Charles and Camilla have spent almost three months at Birkhall in Scotland, where the prince recovered from Covid-19 after contracting the virus in March, suffering with mild symptoms.

The South West has seen the lowest number of Covid-19 cases of all the English regions, but within the South West, Gloucestershire has had the highest number of cases, a Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said.