THE QUEEN HAS told the British people that if they “remain united and resolute” in the face of the coronavirus outbreak “we will overcome it”.
She warned the country, in lockdown for almost two weeks and with thousands dead after contracting Covid-19, “may have more still to endure”.
In the speech, 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to NHS staff and frontline workers.
Promising that
“better days will return”, she said: “We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again.”
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Today, the UK’s death toll from Covid-19 rose by 621 – bringing the total to 4,934. This figure has quadrupled since last week and includes a five-year-old child, as well as seven healthcare workers.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in self-isolation with a high temperature after testing positive for the disease, which is expected to peak in Britain in the next week to 10 days.
The televised address is a rare event, with the British head of state only making three previous appearances during troubled times.
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Speeches were broadcast after the Queen Mother’s death in 2002, ahead of Diana, Princess of Wales’s funeral in 1997, and about the first Gulf War in 1991.
The queen said: “I also want to thank those of you who are staying at home, thereby helping to protect 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 and resolute, then we will overcome it,” the queen said. She also referenced how during the Blitz in 1940 she gave her first radio broadcast to evacuated children.
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“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,” she said.
The speech was recorded at Windsor Castle under special circumstances after specific advice from the Medical Household was sought, and followed, to mitigate any risk to the queen and others.
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The castle’s White Drawing Room was specifically chosen so an appropriate distance could be maintained between the queen and the other occupant – a cameraman wearing personal protective equipment.
The queen has been staying at her Berkshire home of Windsor Castle with the Duke of Edinburgh since March 19, arriving earlier than normal for the Easter period as a precaution amid the pandemic.
Earlier today, UK health secretary Matt Hancock warned that the government could ban outside exercise if people flout stringent guidelines to cut the spread of coronavirus infections.
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Queen will urge Britons to 'take pride' in their response to the coronavirus crisis and hail their 'quiet, good-humoured resolve' in the face of 'enormous changes' as she addresses the nation.
The Queen will tonight deliver a rallying cry to the nation in which she expresses hope that the ‘quiet, good-humoured resolve’ of the British people will help to overcome the coronavirus crisis.
Invoking the spirit of the Second World War, the 93-year-old monarch will tell tens of millions of TV viewers: ‘I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge.
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‘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-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country.’
In the televised broadcast, recorded in extraordinary circumstances at Windsor Castle with a sole cameraman dressed in protective clothing, the Queen will confront the scale of the task facing the country.
‘I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time,’ she will say.‘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.’
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Details of the speech emerged as the UK death toll rose by 708 – the highest daily increase so far – to 4,313. The latest victims included a five-year-old child, the youngest known victim in Europe since the pandemic began.
And police chiefs have slammed thousands of London residents who have defied the city's lockdown to enjoy good weather in parks, leading to some being closed.
The UK epicentre has now moved to the West Midlands where there were 212 deaths, compared to 127 in London. The increase prompted ministers to accelerate work to transform the Birmingham NEC into a 2,000-bed hospital.
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The Queen’s message, which will be broadcast at 8pm this evening, was filmed in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, where she remains in isolation with the Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince Philip is understood to have advised on the tone and delivery of the message. The Queen had earlier taken part in her first-ever ‘remote’ video-link Privy Council meeting.
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Sources also outlined concerns that the Queen might have been criticised had she waited too long to speak publicly – an accusation that she faced after the death of Princess Diana in August 1997.
last night, a senior Downing Street official said: ‘The Prime Minister and the Queen have been speaking regularly. ‘The Queen is the best judge of when to talk to the country and we absolutely agree that now is the right time.
‘We have asked the country to make huge sacrifices and life is very difficult at the moment for a great many people. Hearing from Her Majesty is an important way of helping to lift the nation’s spirits.’
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The official added: ‘We are two weeks into some very restrictive measures on the public. We’re asking people to stay indoors, to not go about their life in the usual way. Sadly, we have also seen a significant number of deaths over the course of the past week.
‘We’ve always said that Her Majesty would be the best judge the right time to speak to the nation but we agree that now is that moment.’
The development comes as police across the capital have been left furious after scores of people ignored the Prime Minister's plea to stay at home to protect the NHS by congregating in large groups to enjoy the weekend's good weather.
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Brockwell Park in South London shut indefinitely after 3,000 people visited earlier today 'despite clear advice' as green spaces and beaches filled up across the UK.
Lambeth Council tweeted earlier today and said: 'Despite clear advice, over 3,000 people spent today in Brockwell Park, many of them sunbathing or in large groups. This is unacceptable.
'Unfortunately, the actions of a minority now means that, following police advice, Brockwell Park will be closed tomorrow. #StayHome.
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