Queen Elizabeth issues statement on coronavirus outbreak
Amid the rapid outbreak of COVID-19, the British monarch released a statement addressing the current and upcoming challenges presented by the pandemic. Here is how the Queen is showing her determination to support the people of the United Kingdom during these uncertain times.
Queen Elizabeth II is eager to get back to work.
The reigning British monarch, who received her first dose of the COVID vaccine, has been reportedly keeping busy making plans that she’s eager to take on once the U.K.’s national lockdown is lifted.
On Tuesday, royal expert and Vanity Fair correspondent Katie Nicholl told the outlet that the 94-year-old is eager to resume official duties after spending much of the past year in isolation. However, Elizabeth is waiting until she is able to do it safely within government guidelines.
"There’s a keenness for Her Majesty to get back to doing what she does best, being visible," a royal source told Nicholl. "Her belief has always been ‘You have to be seen to be believed’ and that is still very much Her Majesty’s view. She has had to reign from a screen for much of last year, we are all hoping this year will be different."
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According to royal writer and Vanity Fair correspondent Katie Nicholl, the royal family will be reunited at Trooping the Colour later this year to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 95th birthday. (Photo by Ben Stansall - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
According to Nicholl, the royal family will be reunited at Trooping the Colour later this year to celebrate Elizabeth’s 95th birthday. Palace aides also told Nicholl Elizabeth is hopeful she’ll be able to attend certain engagements within the year.
Still, Buckingham Palace has canceled all garden parties this summer due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
On Saturday, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, 99, have received their coronavirus vaccinations.
A royal source also confirmed the vaccinations were administered "by a household doctor at Windsor Castle" where the couple has been living amid the global health crisis.
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Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip on Nov. 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey in London. (Chris Jackson/Pool via AP)
The spokesperson said the queen wanted to inform the public of the vaccinations "to prevent inaccuracies and further speculation."
It is unclear which vaccine was administered to the royal couple, but the palace noted that "no other details will be shared."
The queen has been a fixture of hope for Britains since the pandemic surged in the United Kingdom and around the globe in early 2020. In April of last year, Prince Harry and Prince William's grandmother made a rare televised address to U.K. citizens to lift the spirits of people in the country.
"I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time," she shared, "a time of disruption in the life of our country; a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all."
In this undated photo issued on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II records her annual Christmas broadcast in Windsor Castle, Windsor, England. (Victoria Jones/Pool via AP)
The queen also paid tribute to Britain’s beloved National Health Service and others in essential services, together with around 750,000 people who volunteer to help the vulnerable.
"I want to thank everyone on the NHS frontline, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all," she said. "I'm sure the nation will join me in ensuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times."
In her most recent address on New Year's Eve, the queen declared "better days will return" in a caption of a collage of photos from 2020.
Last April, the queen's son Prince Charles confirmed that he had contracted COVID-19. The Prince of Wales, 72, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, self-isolated in Scotland, where they recovered. It was reported months later that William, 38, also contracted the virus.
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Last April, the queen's son, Prince Charles, confirmed that he had contracted COVID-19. The Prince of Wales and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, self-isolated in Scotland, where they recovered. (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
Last year was the first time in decades that the monarch and Philip spent Christmas at Windsor Castle instead of their Sandringham estate because of the pandemic.
Fox News’ Melissa Roberto contributed to this report.
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