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.
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Queen Elizabeth II is “being updated hourly” on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s condition as he battles the coronavirus.
The 55-year-old was moved to the intensive care unit of St. Thomas’ Hospital in London after his coronavirus symptoms worsened, a spokesman told Fox News on Monday.
U.K.-based media correspondent Neil Sean told Fox News on Tuesday that Johnson has the full backing of the reigning monarch, 93.
“She has been updated hourly on his condition and has asked to be told details of his condition on an hourly basis while she self-isolates at Windsor Castle,” said Sean.
“She has also offered her own personal medical team to be on hand if required or requested,” he claimed.
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A palace insider told Sean: “She has great respect for Boris as her Prime Minister and has a very soft spot for him after some fun and informal meetings which they shared.”
“The Queen has the very best medical team in the world and this offer shows how much she likes Boris and how worried indeed she is about his situation,” Sean said.
Elizabeth’s grandson Prince William also took to social media on Tuesday to send his best wishes to Johnson.
“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,” Kensington Palace shared on Instagram. “We wish him a speedy recovery at this difficult time.”
Johnson’s office previously told Fox News that the prime minister has been conscious and did not need ventilation. He asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputize for him, the spokesman said.
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“The condition of the prime minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the intensive care unit at the hospital,” the spokesman added. “The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all [National Health Service] staff for their hard work and dedication.”
The move came just a day after Johnson was admitted for what were said to be routine tests.
Downing St. said Johnson was in the ICU in case he needed ventilation later.
Johnson had been quarantined in his home since being diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26.
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On Sunday, Elizabeth gave a rare address to the nation in an effort to uplift the spirits of her people in the United Kingdom and to offer hope to her country as it faces the devastating coronavirus pandemic.
The televised address was recorded in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. The location was specifically chosen for the broadcast because it provided enough space between the monarch and the cameraperson, who wore personal protective equipment.
"I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time," Elizabeth 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."
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."
"I also want to thank those of you who are staying at home," Elizabeth noted on social distancing, "thereby protecting to help the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones. Together we are tackling this disease and I want to reassure you that if we remain united in resolute then we will overcome it."
Elizabeth also remarked history will forever remember how the nation rose to the challenge during the crisis.
"I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge," she said. "And, those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any, that the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet, good-humored resolve, and of fellow feeling still characterize this country.
"The pride in who we are is not part of our past," she continued. "It defines our present and our future. The moments when the United Kingdom has come to applaud its care and essential workers will be remembered as an expression of our national spirit. And its symbol will be the rainbows drawn by children. Across the Commonwealth and around the world we have seen heartwarming stories of people coming together to help others. Be it through delivering food parcels and medicines, checking on neighbors, or converting businesses to help the relief effort."
Elizabeth noted that self-isolating can be challenging for those trying to make sense of the pandemic. However, their efforts to flatten the curve are being recognized and honored.
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"And though self-isolating may at times be hard," she admitted, "many people of all faiths and of none are discovering that it presents an opportunity to slow down, pause and reflect in prayer or meditation. It reminds me of the very first broadcast I made in 1940 helped by my sister. We as children spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety.
"Today, once again, many will feel a sense of separation from their loved ones," Elizabeth said. "But now, as then, we know deep down that it is the right thing to do. While we have faced challenges before, this one is different. This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavor using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal.
"We will succeed, and that success will belong to every one of us," she concluded. "We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again. But for now, I send my thanks and warmest good wishes to you all."
The phrase, “we will meet again,” is a direct reference to a British song from the war years of the 1940s.
Sunday’s broadcast served as the first time the Queen has addressed the coronavirus on camera.
Fox News’ Frank Miles contributed to this report.
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