Boris Johnson has been “stable overnight” in the intensive care unit at

St Thomas’ Hospital on London where doctors have not thought it necessary to put him on a ventilator though his breathing has been helped with oxygen.

According to a Buckingham Palace spokesman, “the Queen sent a message to (his pregnant fiancée) Carrie Symonds and to the Johnson family. Her Majesty said they were in her thoughts and that she wished the Prime Minister a full and speedy recovery.”

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall also “sent their wishes for a speedy recovery to the Prime Minister this morning”, a spokesman for the pair confirmed.

Prince William also joined in, tweeting: “Our thoughts are with the Prime Minister and his family, who like so many in the UK and around the world are affected by coronavirus. We wish him a speedy recovery at this difficult time.”

A Downing Street spokesman tried to sound reassuring: “The Prime Minister has been stable overnight and remains in good spirits,” “He is receiving standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any other assistance.”

The spokesman: “He has not required mechanical ventilation or non-invasive respiratory support.”

A large group of photographers and reporters are now doorstepping St Thomas’ which is located on the south side of the Thames opposite the Palace of Westminster. There is also a big police presence at the entrance to the hospital.

The No 10 spokesman rejected complaints from some journalists that No 10 had sought to hide the seriousness of his condition.

“We have been fully frank with you throughout,” the spokesman told reporters.

“We have issued you with regular updates on the Prime Minister’s health. His condition worsened yesterday afternoon. A decision was taken that he needed to be moved to an intensive care unit at around 7pm.”

After the country was shocked on learning that Boris was taken into the ICU at 7pm on Monday after his condition had deteriorated in the late afternoon, there was a mini-drama on Tuesday morning when the cabinet office minister Michael Gove announced he was going into self-isolation because a family member was showing signs of coronavirus.

Although the foreign secretary Dominic Raab is deputising for Boris at his request, it is generally recognised that it is Gove who is probably the most senior person in the cabinet after the Prime Minister.

However, should Raab be taken ill, the chancellor Rishi Sunak would be next in line to take over, the Prime Minister’s spokesman clarified.

Before himself going into self-isolation, Gove gave a series of interviews on Tuesday morning to provide reassurance that even in the absence of Boris, government would continue to function smoothly.

He dodged the question when asked if Raab had the authority to press the nuclear button by saying he could not possibly discuss security.

“Dominic is in charge,” he said. “I won’t go into the details of the different national security decisions and protocols that there are but there are appropriate ways in which decisions can be taken in order to keep this country safe.

“As we speak the PM is in intensive care being looked after by his medical team receiving the very, very best care from the team in St Thomas’ and our hopes and prayers are with him and with his family,

“The work of government goes on. We have a superb civil service and they have ensured that the machinery is there for decisions to be made by ministers, by medical and scientific experts and for those decisions to be followed through in a way which enables us to help those at the frontline.”

He said everyone was discovering that the virus “has a malevolence that is truly frightening”.

At the Downing Street news conference on Tuesday, Raab said Boris was “receiving standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any assistance”.

He added the Prime Minister was “receiving the very best care from the excellent medical team” remained stable overnight and in “good spirits”

There had “been a groundswell of messages of support” and everyone was wishing the Prime Minister a very speedy recovery.

He added: 'It comes as a shock to all of us. He is not just a prime minister, not just our boss, but also a colleague and also our friend.'

'I'm confident he will pull through because if there is one thing that I know about this prime minister is he is a fighter and he will be back leading us through this crisis in short order.'

Gove then had to issue this statement: “In accordance with the guidance, I am isolating at home after a member of my family started to display mild symptoms of coronavirus on Sunday. I have not displayed any symptoms and am continuing to work as normal.”

“When the news first broke that 55-year-old Boris had been admitted to an ICU, it shocked a nation which has almost got used to several hundred coronavirus deaths a day.”

Presenter Iain Dale on LBC talk radio sounded as though he was in tears as he discussed the breaking news with his callers. Many of them said much the same thing: “I am not religious but tonight I am praying for Boris.”

The UK’s coronavirus death toll has jumped by record-high 854 in a day with 6,227 known victims. Of those who were put on a ventilator, 50 per cent have not survived.