PRINCE Charles is 71 and has tested positive for coronavirus.

Now, normally if someone of that age is diagnosed with the illness, he is after all in the at risk age group, there would be widespread sympathy and best wishes from all.

However, of course, Prince Charles is heir to the throne and was diagnosed at his home at Birkhall on Royal Deeside, and by the NHS too apparently.

Worse still, he only arrived in Aberdeenshire two days beforehand, ignoring the very sensible advice not to travel to remote parts of Scotland to self-isolate.

It is arguable whether he should have travelled to Birkhall in the middle of the crisis. But sadly though, his diagnosis is being taken by some as an excuse to vent extreme republican views and virtually call for Charles to be lynched.

According to former SNP MP George Kerevan. who lost his seat incidentally, Prince Charles is a 'billionaire landowner' who 'disobeyed' guidance to stay at home and went to his 'second home' in Scotland and is 'now infected and has infected others'.

He added for good measure: "Indy Scotland must be a republic and tax this arrogant fool".

Now Mr Kerevan used to be a journalist but clearly accuracy is not currently his strong point.

While I'm not sure of exactly how Prince Charles travelled from London, I'm pretty certain he didn't get the bus from Aberdeen to Ballater and spread it amongst the locals.

Of more concern would be the hundreds of people that Charles has recently met going about his official duties, he must have got it from one of them and I'm sure that health officials are trying to trace them all, although it is probably a futile task by now.

Prince Charles is a regular visitor to Birkhall and is the perfectly natural place for him and Camilla to isolate themselves away. It is remote with the surrounding Balmoral estate offering peace and solitude while encountering very few other people.

If they had stayed in London after lockdown, they would have run the risk of coming into contact with far more people, potentially putting many lives at risk, so they probably did the sensible thing.

To liken Prince Charles to the idiots who descended across the Highlands in their camper vans last week to self isolate is just plain foolish, but then again we are all living through daft times at the moment.