The coronavirus has resulted in some shocking news from Great Britain on Friday.
In a rare move, Queen Elizabeth II is going to address the citizens of the United Kingdom in a special televised broadcast on Sunday.
Royal announcement
The Royal Family made the announcement on its Twitter account on Friday morning: “On Sunday 5th April at 8pm (BST) Her Majesty The Queen will address the UK and the Commonwealth in a televised broadcast. As well as on television and radio, The Queen’s address will be shown on The @RoyalFamily’s social media channels.”
On Sunday 5th April at 8pm (BST)
Her Majesty The Queen will address the UK and the Commonwealth in a televised broadcast.As well as on television and radio, The Queen’s address will be shown on The @RoyalFamily’s social media channels. pic.twitter.com/EADh7WNU7b
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 3, 2020
Buckingham Palace said in a separate message that “Her Majesty The Queen has recorded a special broadcast to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in relation to the coronavirus outbreak.”
According to Fox News, such a speech is a rare occasion: “The televised address is unique in that the queen has only conducted a handful of on-camera broadcasts outside her annual televised Christmas addresses throughout her 68-year reign. The queen has appeared on camera to address the death of Princess Diana, which came five days following the Aug. 31, 1997 tragedy, as well as in 1991 during the Gulf War and in 2002, after the Queen Mother died.”
Coronavirus in the U.K.
According to the most recent numbers, the United Kingdom has experienced over 41,900 cases of the coronavirus with over 4,313 deaths.
Included in these numbers is Prince Charles himself, who, at 71-years-old, tested positive for COVID-19 in March. Now recovering, he issued a statement encouraging people to isolate.
“Having recently gone through the process of contracting this coronavirus, luckily with relatively mild symptoms, I now find myself on the other side of the illness but still in no less a state of social distance and general isolation,” Prince Charles said.
Another big name in the U.K. to have fallen ill is Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is currently doing some self-isolating of his own with “mild” symptoms. Johnson, however, from isolation, has continued his duties.
Johnson’s fiancee, Carrie Symonds, said on Twitter Saturday that she is also recovering from symptoms of the coronavirus, but was not officially diagnosed.
Lockdown
In response to the coronavirus, Johnson has placed the U.K. on lockdown in an effort to slow the spread down. As a result, residents are only allowed to make necessary trips out of their homes, such as to pick up groceries or to make a trip to the pharmacy for medication.
No word has been released on what Queen Elizabeth will say in her address.
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