The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has granted permission for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to exercise in the grounds of Lambeth Palace. In addition, the Queen has also allowed the PM to use the grounds at Buckingham Palace for his daily jog.
The Prime Minister is said to be exercising regularly in a bid to improve his fitness following a severe bout of COVID-19 that left him in intensive care. After recovering from the illness, Mr Johnson said he was aware that his being overweight likely made the symptoms more severe than they might otherwise have been.
"The Prime Minister has been exercising in the grounds of Buckingham Palace," No 10 said in a statement. "It's obviously important that the Prime Minister is able to take exercise."
His usual jogging routes in London's public parks have been ruled out by security officials for the time being. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are currently living at Windsor Castle in isolation, with Her Majesty working from her private apartments there; she has been speaking to Mr Johnson over the telephone as a lockdown alternative to their weekly in-person audience.
Johnson was seen arriving at a side entrance to the palace in an armoured Range Rover yesterday, before returning to Downing Street wearing sports gear. He has reportedly lost a stone in weight since being discharged from hospital on April 12th.
