Duchess Camilla wore a dumb face shield to meet coronavirus-sniffing dogs

It’s completely crazy to me to see how infrequently the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have worn masks or taken precautions at any of their events in the past three months. Charles had the coronavirus, but everyone says you can get it again. They’re two old farts as well, in the prime demographic to get a severe case of the virus. But they’ve been going on tours and doing public events and Camilla has only worn a mask a few times. I was unprepared for just how jarring it is when no one else around them is wearing a mask either, still, to this day.

This week, Camilla stopped by the Medical Detection Dogs at their training centre in Milton Keynes. The dogs are apparently being trained to smell the coronavirus, which… I mean, poor puppies. My cat had the coronavirus and he felt like hot garbage for several days back in April. Camilla is the patron of Medical Detection Dogs, and so that’s why she was there, to highlight the work of the trainers and the dogs. Unfortunately for everyone, Camilla didn’t wear a face mask for much of the trip. At one point, she did put on one of those head-harness face shields though, but those look stupid and ineffective! People were complaining about how the face shields wouldn’t really block the virus and they’re right.

The virus is not being transferred eyeball to eyeball, wear a damn mask!!

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Photos courtesy of Getty, IG.

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70 Responses to “Duchess Camilla wore a dumb face shield to meet coronavirus-sniffing dogs”

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  1. Nev says:

    bahahahahahahahahahahaha looks silly

    • (TheOG) Jan90067 says:

      First off, she’s wearing it MUCH too “high” for it to do any good blocking anything that’d come out of her nose/mouth if she coughs/sneezes. It’s meant to go in the middle of the forehead to extend to the chin.

      Second, it’s meant to go hand and hand WITH a mask, or at the very least alone if someone has such bad medical problems with breathing that they can NOT wear a mask.

      The way she’s doing it is comical and worthless.

      • tolly says:

        Agree. With people returning to offices, I’ve seen a lot more women with a shield perched on top of their carefully styled hair, and it’s really not effective. Please wear a mask!

    • Wow2 says:

      These are not silly. They are used in a hospital setting. The eyes are a mucous membrane and they absolutely are a way for the virus to enter your body.

      I work for a pulmonary medicine inpatient unit in Canada.

      • Moneypenny424 says:

        I don’t think anyone thinks the masks are silly—it just that, even in a hospital, aren’t they always worn with a mask too? The shield alone is not enough for the mouth and nose, but absolutely is effective for eyes or in settings with splatter, etc.

      • Kati says:

        I work at a preschool and we’re required to wear face shields without masks. Children need to see our mouths in order for proper language development to occur.

      • Nev says:

        okay silly was the wrong word, I apologize. ill-fitting is better perhaps.

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        Exactly. The purpose of a shield is to keep secretions/ pathogens out of the EYES.
        It is not protective of the respiratory tract.

      • E says:

        @Katy. Please wear a mask for safety. Whoever told you that kids have to see your mouth to properly develop their language skills is wrong. Riddle me this, how does a blind person learn to speak? Signed, An SLP.

  2. ME says:

    Face shields are supposed to be an EXTRA layer of protection. It’s useless to wear one if you’re not wearing a mask underneath. Mind you, her husband had the virus months ago so she probably thinks she’s already had it and is immune (which is stupid to believe because people have gotten re-infected).

    • bluemoonhorse says:

      Does she even see Charles that much? I doubt it.

      • ME says:

        Wasn’t she with him when he was self-isolating after his diagnosis? People were upset because he traveled to Scotland while knowingly positive with the virus (or somewhere near Scotland?) to isolate and I’m pretty sure she was with him, though I could be wrong.

      • fluffy_bunny says:

        @ME they were together in Scotland when he was recovering.

    • Tessa says:

      Normally she spends a lot of time at Raymill seeing her grandchildren, which was not possible during the pandemic.

  3. bros says:

    daft cow! it’s not even low enough to cover her chin, which it should be. These things do offer some protection in terms of blocking droplets expelled in a sneeze/cough, and in a study with the flu, they performed pretty well. But she should be wearing a mask too, just to signal she’s taking it seriously. I have to correct the ‘everyone says you can get it twice’ though: there’s been one or two documented cases, but any novel illness is going to have statistical noise. In the huge vast majority of cases, you mount a good enough immune response to not get it again, particularly if you develop the spike protein neutralizing antibodies. she’s pretty much not a risk to anyone or at risk from getting it, but she should just set examples for the rest of the public and at least wear the shield correctly.

    • ME says:

      Recently Tiffany Haddish stated she had the virus months ago. She was tested for anti-bodies soon after and had them. She said she got tested for the anti-bodies again recently and no longer has the anti-bodies. Technically, could she not get re-infected? I know t-cells play a role too but still…

      • bros says:

        Not enough studies, but T cells are involved yes. she should be fine.

      • Ang says:

        This is not correct, she can absolutely get it again. Not enough is known yet to just think you have immunity. Every body works differently also. Don’t count on “just because you already had it”

      • Bee says:

        I work in BioPharm in Canada and one of the concerns with vaccines right now is that antibodies are not sticking around in the body for a long time which means a effective vaccine is hard to develop. You absolutely can get reinfected based on the current, though limited, studies that have happened.

  4. KellyRyan says:

    F’n fashion statement. Pose and smile Camilla, your village called.

  5. Case says:

    “My cat had the coronavirus and he felt like hot garbage for several days back in April.” @Kaiser how did your cat get it? It freaks me out that pets can get it too.

    Yeah, the face shield on its own is stupid. It’s supposed to be an added layer of protection, not permission to go mask-less.

    • Kaiser says:

      I still don’t know, it’s possible/probable I had it and I was asymptomatic and I gave it to Panther Kitten or maybe he got it from outdoor kitty Dexter. I still don’t know, but he was SICK

      • Case says:

        Oh, that’s so sad! I have two cats and worry about accidentally passing it off to them if I get the virus (sure hope that won’t happen, though). I’m glad he’s feeling better now!

      • Nanny to the Rescue says:

        Did the actually test him?
        No way my country would test animals.

      • LolaB says:

        Did the vet have to stick him up the nose with one of those giant swabs??? Poor cat!

      • BayTampaBay says:

        @Nanny to the Rescue – In The USA if you are willing to pay enough $$$$ you can get almost anything done.

        Vets are testing animals but they are charging $$$$$$ for doing it.

  6. Joanna says:

    At my bank, that’s an option for us employees. That or a mask. Iprefer mask, I can skip makeup lol. Plus I think the shields look dorky. Jmo.

    • Mich says:

      You are smart to prefer a mask. There was a outbreak at a Swiss Hotel a few months ago. People who wore those face shields all got sick. People wearing masks did not.

  7. lucy2 says:

    I feel like if it were lower on her head so it covered more of her face, it would be more effective? But FFS, just put on a mask. It’s not hard.

  8. bee says:

    I generally love this site but guys – you’ve REALLY got to stop acting like the entire world is following US requirements. The UK has different requirements for face coverings, as do many other European and Asian countries, Australia, etc etc! The ranting is tiresome and incredibly US-centric. Especially when.. you know.. the US isn’t exactly leading the world in terms of covid and all…

    • Snuffles says:

      You do realize that almost every where else in the world has the common sense to require masks. It’s countries like the US and U.K. that are slacking off. That’s WHY we are in the worst shape.

      • Lola says:

        This is not at all correct! Many other countries do not have a universal mask/face covering mandate and if there is, people aren’t necessarily following them!

      • Whitecat says:

        Not true. Germany does not have mandatory mask rules (only on public transportation and inside supermarkets), and nobody wears masks outside. Germany was just ranked by Forbes as the most prepared country to handle covid19. The infection rate is low, death rate is one of the lowest, there’s around 230 severe cases in total, and only 15,000 active cases (for a country of 80 million). Not the whole world is following the US.

    • Michelle Connolly says:

      But I’m in the UK and we’ve already started re-locking down measures (from gatherings of 30 people back to 6, unless you’re literally living with more than 6 people) because we have another wave starting. And yes, you’re meant to be wearing a mask when interacting with people, especially in a workplace. Even if they’re outside what they are doing is continuing to undermine the spirit of it and give ammo to anti-maskers. They should be setting the example!

      • Veronica S. says:

        Especially when you consider that the UK’s death rate, when adjusted for population, is actually higher than that of the United States. We’re in the same boat precisely because we’re being run by the same casually sociopathic government that sees human lives as expendable in pursuit of economic success.

      • Becks1 says:

        And the same is true for Sweden as well, where we NEVER see the royals wearing masks – their death rate is one of the highest in the world.

    • Dockery says:

      Nothing is as funny as when that rapper got arrested in Sweden and people on here were whinging about how Sweden wasn’t following American laws, but not understanding other countries have their own safety requirements is up there too.

      • Athyrmose says:

        How was that funny? 🧐

      • skimble says:

        Because it’s hilarious that Americans think other countries operate under American laws and regulations and can’t conceive of a single reason why Sweden wouldn’t follow American laws?

    • Maxime duCamp says:

      THIS and I’m from the US. Seriously, mask-wearing rules aren’t even the same across the US (and I’m not just talking about red states vs. blue states). Don’t get me wrong, I believe in wearing masks and wear one whenever I step outside my apartment, even if it’s only to walk down the hallway to take my trash to the trash chute. And I feel fortunate to live in an area where masks are supposed to be worn whenever you’re in a public space be it an apartment bldg. hallway or lobby or outside and they are required for entry into any type of shop and the majority of people are compliant. Even so the number of COVID cases in my county has been high, although they’ve gone down a bit and seem to have leveled off. But other places have less stringent rules, perhaps because they’re numbers weren’t as bad (Just the other day I was dining outside at a local restaurant for the first time since COVID and overheard a woman complaining about how strict the rules were for masks in this area compared to her home state).

    • Becks1 says:

      The US as a whole has not handled it well, but you know what states have? States that locked down early and enforced mask wearing.

    • Mich says:

      She is supposed to be a role model. Masks save lives.

    • Sarah says:

      As a Brit here in the UK my understanding is that you may choose to wear a face shield in addition to a mask, particularly if you’re going to be coming into contact with a lot of people. Masks worn by the general public are to protect other people from you. Face shields will protect you from others. I’m happy for you to wear a face shield to protect yourself but I also expect you to wear a mask to protect me.

  9. Lunasf17 says:

    I notice a lot of senior citizens wear those face shields around instead of masks. I wonder if there was some marketing geared toward older people? Or maybe they are easier for them? Sucks they aren’t as effective though!

    • Mel M says:

      The one person have seen wear this and only this is an anti mask person that works in a medical office that I have gone to inside of a hospital that requires everyone to wear a mask. So my feeling is that she fought having to wear the mask and made up some medical reason why she can’t or shouldn’t but compromised with her employer by wearing this dumb shield. I know she doesn’t believe in any of it because she has said she thinks people are taking this way too far and she’s made some other comments about Minneapolis that brought me to the conclusion that she is a maga. At least the person I’ve seen actually wears it correctly by having it around her forehead not wearing it like a crown.

    • Lex says:

      I’ve heard criticism of masks being that now deaf and hard of hearing people are in a world of trouble not beind able to lip read or they must hear muffled voices through cloth.

      While what Camilla is wearing looks ineffective, I really see the benefit of something clear (but enclosed somehow) for those differently abled to not be completely shut out of society. This is all depressing enough without adding even more isolation for vulnerable groups

  10. Katherine says:

    it protects the eyes, you do realize one can get it through eyes, right?

    • Abby says:

      Yeah but you get the virus and transmit it more through droplets coming from your nose and mouth. This shield isn’t covering her mouth hardly at all. So she could easily transmit it and possibly contract it that way too.

    • Nanny to the Rescue says:

      Came here to say this.

      Shields are the best protection – better than masks – if somebody caughs or sneezes or talks loudly into you, in which case the mask doesn’t do much (shields are less porous than masks). Masks are mainly there to protect others from you, while shields are there to protect you from others. Which says all about her in this case, really.

      That bein’ said, even if she just wants to take care of herself, she should wear both. Like many others have said, her mouth is half out the shield so it’s not helping her either.

      ETA: One good thing about public figures wearing shields is that you can see their faces – mimic, smile etc. I work with people that come into the firm – I wear a mask – and the fact that I can’t see others facial expression nor can smile reassuringly to others is really defeating.

    • February-Pisces says:

      You can wear glasses to help protect your eyes. I did at the height of the pandemic.

  11. Lola says:

    I’m in the UK and I’ve been to the dentist (they had full PPE including mask and visor and gloves and gowns etc. In a restaurant I went to the staff wore only visors. In pubs, no one was wearing anything. I think Camilla at least wore something which is good given her public position. The lack of universal guidance leads to people to behave in different ways. I believe we should all wear masks etc, to protect others and ourselves, just FYI. It’s just that this is all still governed and communicated differently according to country/state. At least she wore something.

  12. Abby says:

    This is the tiniest, most useless face shield. Why is it so short?

    my preschooler’s teachers wear face shields (some wear masks too) but they’re big and cover their whole face and neck. I like that so she can see their mouths when they’re teaching them to read, for example. I feel like shields would be easier for kids. But both of mine dont mind masks.

  13. LittlePenguin says:

    The best part of listening to the podcast is you see headlines like this one and you hear it in your head in @kaiser or @celebitchy ‘s voice and then you laugh and laugh and laugh.

  14. Scollins says:

    Ugh this old bat again. She’ll always be lying, scheming trash to me. The monarchy is a joke. Full of greedy, worthless racist asshats. I’m not bagging on the article, it’s the useless monarchy who’s money and properties should be donated to all who need it. They are as repulsive as the tRumps. A big difference being the royals have been scamming for centuries.

  15. Faith27 says:

    This type of mask is used at my workplace, I teach languages and it’s very hard to speak 6 + hours in a mask and what’s more, the pupils don’t see my face and understand me poorly. Nonetheless I mostly wear cotton face masks with silver content because I get headaches from the rubber band of the shield. Camilla is wearing the shield way too high….I live in Central Europe, Slovakia and our numbers are mostly low, although the second wave is starting here as well. We wear masks outside automatically and follow many prevention orders from the start.

  16. Sofia says:

    I live in the UK and I’ve seen masks and shields. I personally prefer and wear the mask because I don’t think the shield provides adequate protection (I could be wrong)

    • Becks1 says:

      My understanding is that they do different things – the masks protect other people, the shields protect you. So think of any pictures you may have seen of hospital workers – they’re usually masked up and wearing a face shield.

      That said, this doesn’t look like its doing a lot of good bc it doesn’t seem to fit properly.

      • Sarah says:

        Masks protect others, shields protect you. If you’re going to have a face shield on I expect you to wear a mask too, for my safety.

  17. C-Shell says:

    It’s like they (the BRF) want to make sure their fake smiles are photograph-able. Their beneficence must be recorded for posterity. The way she’s wearing that face shield is fricking worthless.

    The pups are adorable, though, so there’s that.

  18. Naomi says:

    pet theory (as it were): these people & their courtiers/handlers have unlimited access to regular (maybe daily?) testing so they feel free to go about their business without masks. of course they could still pick it up from the ‘normal’ working people they are interacting with for these publicity events, but still–i bet there’s lots of testing around them (and they don’t want to publicize that fact bc that reinforces how privileged they are when so many in UK and around the world struggle to get tested)

  19. Emmlo says:

    I agree the shield is being worn too high but this type of mask is also a disability accommodation. Deaf and hard of hearing people may rely on lip reading and these shields allow for that. My workplace has a few single use shields in case we need to assist a deaf or HOH customer. Camilla may have been asked to wear it or she may have chosen to wear it for accessibility reasons

  20. JustMe says:

    I like those types of shields. You can actually breathe and see peoples faces as normal. Wearing a mask for too long makes me gives me bad headaches.

  21. L4frimaire says:

    Why won’t they wears masks? So what if they’re outside.I really wonder about the arrogance of these types that they feel the face being visible, to gaze upon the visage of royalty, is more important than public health. It really sends the wrong message about public health and caring for others well being. William did the same at some event as well. Trump also won’t wear mask and mocks Biden and others for doing so. It really has become unnecessarily politicized.

  22. G says:

    Vet here- wanted to clear up to avoid misconceptions with pets. The Feline Coronavirus that affects cats is entirely different from the COVID-19 virus. Different disease entity. Not to say that pets cant get Covid-19 but reported confirmed cases last time I checked were about 25 animals globally. If you have Positive COVID people in your household speak to your veterinarian regarding any concerns with your pet’s health.

  23. pupax says:

    Actually this is false information. You can contract Covid through the eyes, from particles hanging in the air or someone sneezing in your face.

    I don’t care how silly it looks, if second wave is getting bad, I am getting one. Where are your priorities?

  24. Don't Trust the B in Comment 23 says:

    WAIT WHAT???

    PETS CAN GET COVID-19??

    I AM F-CKING LOSING IT RIGHT NOW.

    This nightmare cannot end fast enough.

  25. Jeanette Rushing says:

    I want to say Camilla and Charles as well are/were smokers. They may have breathing issues preventing her from wearing a traditional mask, or just age related breathing issues. There could be legitimate reasons, except it needs to be down further..but who doesnt fuss with ANY mask keeping the darn thing in place and they just took the picture at the wrong time..