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Will and Kate's Australia tour in jeopardy due to coronavirus outbreak
Royal fans were delighted at the beginning of February when it was announced that Kate Middleton and Prince William were expected to visit bushfire ravaged towns in Australia.
However, now it’s believed the whole tour is in jeopardy due to the outbreak of coronavirus since then.
Three people have so far died in Australia due to the coronavirus, with 38 confirmed cases in NSW alone.
Prince Willian’s coronavirus joke
It comes just days after Prince William came under fire for making light of the outbreak during his royal tour of Ireland with his wife, Kate Middleton.
The Duke of Cambridge was caught on camera joking with a paramedic about the virus that has people across the globe terrified.
Speaking with paramedic Joe Mooney of Ireland’s National Ambulance Service while visiting the Guinness Storehouse, the Duke asked if he had seen any hysteria around the outbreak.
“I bet everyone’s like ‘I’ve got coronavirus, I’m dying’, and you’re like ‘No, you’ve just got a cough’,” he said, before asking the paramedic’s opinion around the illness.
“Does it seem quite dramatic about coronavirus at the moment? Is it being a little bit hyped up do you think in the media?”
Taking a jovial tone, the royal pulled a face and joked about criticism around his and Kate’s decision to continue to shake hands with members of the public on their national tour.
“By the way, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are spreading coronavirus, sorry,” he laughed with the group.
Royals tour of Australia
The couple were expected to visit town in NSW and Victoria during their trip to Australia.
On January 3rd, the royal pair reached out in a sweet gesture to the Australian public, Tweeting a message of support to those who have been affected by the bushfires.
Alongside an image of a kangaroo escaping from a blaze engulfing a property, they wrote: “We continue to be shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the fires that are destroying homes, livelihoods and wildlife across much of Australia.
”Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people and communities who are affected by this devastating event.
”We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives, and the brave firefighters who continue to risk their own lives to save the lives of others.”
Our followers in Australia can find out the latest information on the fires by following the accounts on this list👇https://t.co/4fB5iGYSFr
As the devastating fires continue our thoughts remain with those impacted and those working heroically to fight them.— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) January 2, 2020
Kate Middleton and Prince William last visited Australia in 2014, with their son Prince George.
The young prince famously threw a furry bilby toy on the ground after he was presented with the gift at Taronga Zoo in April that year.
Prince William and Kate Middleton were also snapped in a now iconic photo, posing in front of Uluru.
While Kate is expected to accompany the future king on this visit, the last time the Duke of Cambridge visited Australia on his own was after the Queensland floods of 2011.
Prince William also went on a solo official visit to New Zealand last year, in the wake of the Christchurch shooting tragedy.
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