The first wave of the vaccination programme will begin on Tuesday after the UK approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use. It will be the largest ever vaccination programme in UK history.
Will the Queen be vaccinated for coronavirus?
The Queen, 94, and her husband Prince Philip, 99, are both in the category eligible for the first wave of coronavirus vaccinations.
However, it is not thought they will receive preferential treatment, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Those over 80 will be the first to be vaccinated against coronavirus, which has been in the UK since January this year.
This will be followed by health and social care workers.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman would not comment on the report, saying: “Medical decisions are personal and this is not something we will comment on.”
A royal source said: “The royals are royals but medical matters are private. If they do decide to have the jab it is a matter for them.
“If they decide to then go public, again that is their call, but they certainly do not want to be seen to be jumping the queue and will not be doing so.”
The supposed move by the royals harks back to a similar step made in 1957, when the Queen had her eldest children Charles and Anne vaccinated against Polio despite public fears.
George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, said it was crucial for people to be encouraged to take the vaccine.
He told Times Radio on Sunday: “This would be a personal decision for the Queen as it is for everyone but it’s very important that we try to make sure people are reassured about this vaccine.”
There is also speculation Prince Charles and Prince William will be brought on board for a campaign to inspire trust in the vaccine.
Anti-vaccine scepticism and sentiment has been growing over recent years and is currently running high, a dangerous precedent amid a global pandemic.
The Queen has been vocal in her support of scientists and healthcare workers throughout the pandemic.
In a speech to the nation in April, she said: “This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavour, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal.
“I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge.
“And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.
“That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country.
“The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.
“The moments when the United Kingdom has come together to applaud its care and essential workers will be remembered as an expression of our national spirit; and its symbol will be the rainbows drawn by children. “
She continued: “We will succeed – and that success will belong to every one of us.”
