Queen Elizabeth Releases Statement on Coronavirus Pandemic
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Queen Elizabeth II has made her first public remarks on the coronavirus pandemic.
Buckingham Palace released a statement today from the queen, stating that everyone is being advised to change their normal routines for “the greater good of the communities we live in and, in particular, to protect the most vulnerable within them.”
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“We know that many individuals and families across the United Kingdom, and around the world, are entering a period of great concern and uncertainty,” the statement reads. “At times such as these, I am reminded that our nation’s history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one, concentrating our combined efforts with a focus on the common goal.”
The statement reveals that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrived in Windsor today. The palace said on March 13 that the queen would be leaving for Windsor Castle for the Easter holiday a week earlier than planned in light of COVID-19. She will also remain at the castle beyond the Easter holiday period, according to the initial press release.
She also states that the royal family “stand ready to play our part” in fighting the pandemic.
The statement was shared by other members of the royal family on Instagram, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
In the U.K., there are more than 2,600 confirmed COVID-19 cases and there have been 60 deaths as of March 19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the schedules of the royal family. In addition to leaving for Windsor Castle a week earlier, the queen also canceled her upcoming travel to Cheshire and Camden in England for later this month.
Princess Beatrice, the queen’s granddaughter, canceled her upcoming royal wedding on May 29 at Buckingham Palace due to COVID-19, according to a March 18 release. It was also revealed on March 18 that Prince George and Princess Charlotte would be homeschooled as of March 20 as their school, Thomas’s Battersea, transitions to remote learning amid the pandemic.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles, also canceled their royal tour of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Jordan in March because of COVID-19.
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Fashion Industry Leaders Raise Funds to Combat COVID-19
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