Tonight, the Queen will address the nation and the Commonwealth as part of a broadcast that could be taken in by a quarter of the world’s population. The Queen has brought forward the address by a week following the worsening on the coronavirus crisis this week. Royal addresses of this kind are exceedingly rare, and this will be only the fifth such address in her 68-year tenure on the throne.
The previous addresses came in 1991 during the Gulf war; in 1997 following the death of Diana; in 2002 on the eve of the funeral of the Queen’s mother; and in 2012 to commemorate the Queen’s diamond jubilee.
The Queen is expected to say, “ I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded”. The Daily Mail today has called the address the ‘Queen’s rousing message’.
The address, which was recorded on Thursday, was recorded by a single cameraman wearing disposable gloves and a protective mask. The Queen also said “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 nation”.
The current situation ranks as one of the most troubling of the Queen’s reign. However, having been in constant contact with Prime Minister Boris Johnson it is commonly perceived that the Queen is the only person to conduct such an address, as a result of her being a political and widely trusted throughout the UK and the Commonwealth.
Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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