The Queen will use stirring TV address to tell Brits their courage during coronavirus fight will be remembered
THE Queen will tomorrow night tell the nation it will be remembered with pride for its courage during the coronavirus fight. The 93-year-old’s “deeply personal” televised address at 8pm is to be watched by an estimated 32million. ⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates It comes as the death toll reached a […]
THE Queen will tomorrow night tell the nation it will be remembered with pride for its courage during the coronavirus fight.
The 93-year-old’s “deeply personal” televised address at 8pm is to be watched by an estimated 32million.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
It comes as the death toll reached a new daily high after another 708 people died in 24 hours, including a five-year-old child.
Brits will see her pay tribute to the country’s strength during this “increasingly challenging time” — with “enormous changes to the daily lives of us all”.
The monarch, whose son Prince Charles was hit by the virus, will also offer support for those grieving loved ones.
As NHS heroes and other frontline workers tackle the deadly virus, she will hail the country’s characteristic “self-discipline” and “good-humoured resolve”.
And she promises there will be better times ahead — when we can look back with pride on a generation “as strong as any” before it.
Royal aides say the speech, broadcast from Windsor Castle, will draw on “her experiences in other difficult times”.
It is the fifth time the Queen has chosen to address the nation outside of Christmas and comes as experts fear the coronavirus has yet to hit its peak.
PM Boris Johnson said she had chosen the perfect time to address a nation which has been in lockdown since last month.
Viewing figures are expected to top the 27million who tuned in to hear him order the nationwide shutdown on March 23.
They could even beat the record UK TV audience of 32.3million who saw England win the 1966 World Cup Final.
‘A TIME OF DISRUPTION’
The Queen, who has been isolating with the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, at Windsor Castle, will say tomorrow: “I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time.
“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.”
Her powerful message will include praise for those on the NHS front line, care workers and others carrying out vital roles.
She will also thank those who are following the official government guidance to stay at home and protect the vulnerable.
And she will show she has every faith in our ability to come through this unprecedented crisis.
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The Queen adds: “I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge.
“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.”
The address will also be broadcast across 53 other Commonwealth nations as well as the Royal Family’s social media channels.
The Queen and Prince Philip have been with a skeleton staff at Windsor after leaving Buckingham Palace, where a footman tested positive for coronavirus.
Medical advice was taken from royal doctors before filming was set up last week.
Those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.
The Queen
Aides chose the White Drawing Room to ensure the Queen — who is in a vulnerable age group — was at a safe distance from the crew.
Only one cameraman was allowed in with all other technical staff linked via speakers.
Sources say the idea for the address came from the Queen herself after discussing it with Prince Charles, who is recovering in the Scottish Highlands.
It is understood there was no political pressure to make the speech, despite calls from some for her to address the nation earlier.
However, the Queen’s office did talk it over with No10 and sent the Prime Minister a copy of the four-minute, 15-second speech.
Her Majesty drafted it with help from her Private Secretary Sir Edward Young, it is understood.
A source said: “The TV address will show how important it is to remain at home and protect the vulnerable.
“It will reassure and inspire everyone by evoking the wartime spirit of ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’.
“It is a deeply personal message derived from her personal experiences in other difficult times but points to brighter times ahead.”
The Queen traditionally only addresses the nation every year on Christmas Day.
The four other previous times she has chosen to speak on telly were at times of national or personal celebration or crisis.
They included an address from Buckingham Palace — after mounting pressure — following the death of Princes Diana in 1997.
She said then: “Since last Sunday’s dreadful news, we have seen throughout Britain and around the world an overwhelming expression of sadness of Diana’s death. “We have all been trying in our different ways to cope.”
Five years later she thanked the nation for their kindness after the death of the Queen Mother.
She said: “The extent of the tribute that huge numbers of you have paid my mother in the last few days has been overwhelming.
“I have drawn great comfort from so many individual acts of kindness and respect.”
She added: “I thank you for the support you are giving me and my family as we come to terms with her death and the void she has left in our midst
“I thank you also from my heart for the love you gave her during her life and the honour you now give her in death.”
‘LIFT THE NATION’S SPIRITS’
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson today hailed the Queen’s latest intervention as the perfect way to lift the nation’s spirits.
They have spoken regularly throughout the crisis — while the details of Sunday night’s TV address were thrashed out in talks between aides at No10 and Buckingham Palace.
A senior Downing Street official said: “The Queen is the best judge of when to talk to the country and we absolutely agree that now is the right time.
“Now is that moment.
“The Prime Minister and Her Majesty have been speaking regularly and No10 and Buckingham Palace have been speaking throughout about the address.
“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 the Queen at this time is an important way of helping to lift the nation’s spirits.”
No10 said the country needed a pick-up after nearly two weeks of “very restrictive measures” and a rising death toll.
The official also repeated the need to follow guidelines despite the warm sunshine.
He said: “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.
“The indications are that people are still following those rules.
“There was a slight uptick in car journeys but all the other metrics continue to be in the right place.
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“But, look, we’re two weeks in. There’s sunny weather outside, we need people to stick at this.
“There will of course be temptation for people to want to go out but we really can’t stress enough that if you ignore the guidelines the risk of you infecting someone and ultimately lives being lost is significant. We just really need people to stick at this. We know it’s hard.
“We’re grateful for the efforts which people are making but we really can’t afford for people to start giving up on it now. We’re at an absolutely crucial point.”
Special speeches
1991: Start of the Gulf War
Gave a 40-second address after Iraq invasion. Said the nation had “pride” in its forces, and asked the public to pray for a “swift victory and lasting peace”.
1997: Death of Princess Diana
Spoke after criticism for days of silence. Hailed Diana as an “exceptional and gifted human being” and “admired her devotion to her two boys”.
2002: Death of Queen Mother
Said she had “drawn great comfort” from the “overwhelming” tributes. She added: “My family and I always knew what she meant for this country.”
2012: Diamond Jubilee year
Told viewers the festivities had been “a humbling experience”, adding she had been “touched deeply” by seeing so many people celebrating together.
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