Queen Elizabeth Is Set to Make a Rare TV Address
Queen Elizabeth is reportedly set to make her first public television address since 2002, making it only the fourth address of her 68-year reign.
According to the Times of London, the Queen will make a televised speech sometime in the coming weeks to address the coronavirus. Her last speech was in 2002 on the eve of her mother’s funeral, and she previously spoke out after the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and spoke about the Gulf War in 1991.
“It is a question of when, not if," a palace aide told the Times about the upcoming speech. "The value of an address by the Queen is that it is so rare — it’s a case of when is the optimum time to do it. The Queen wants to get it right.”
The news comes after the Queen confirmed she and Prince Phillip left London and are staying at Windsor Castle as the coronavirus pandemic worsens around the world. The Times reports Prince Charles and Camilla are staying at Birkhall, Charles’s home on the Queen’s Balmoral estate in Scotland for the foreseeable future, while Prince William and Kate Middleton are at their Norfolk home Anmer Hall, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis but may return to London after the Easter holiday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly in Canada.
The Queen is said to be using FaceTime and Skype to meet with members of the emergency services, volunteers and charities working on the front line of the pandemic.
“Nothing will be ruled out to ensure Her Majesty is able to keep in touch and offer thanks and reassurance to everyone she needs to," a royal aide told the Times.
