Queen shows she’s still relevant in Zoom address
It marked yet another seminal moment in the Queen’s reign and shows how quickly the monarchy has adapted to the coronavirus era. On a video conference call alongside her daughter, Princess Anne, the 94-yearold monarch’s first public Zoom engagement on Thursday was hailed a resounding success.
The Queen’s willingness to participate in a Zoom video call showed just how determined she is to live up to her mantra of “being seen to be believed.”
While she may have been forced to remain at Windsor Castle “indefinitely,” with her royal engagements on hold, the Queen is busy behind the scenes.
Buckingham Palace remains closed to the public this summer, for the first time in 27 years, and events such as Trooping the Colour, garden parties and the Order of the Garter service have been cancelled. Princess Beatrice’s wedding has been postponed and plans for a state visit from South Africa in October are up in the air, but despite all this, royal aides are looking to the future. The Telegraph understands “tentative planning” has begun for the Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th birthday next June and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. As one royal aide put it: “The royal household will do what it has always done — it will adapt.”
There is no doubt that COVID-19 has posed significant challenges. Andrew Morton, whose 1992 book Diana: Her True Story blew the lid off Charles and Diana’s failed marriage, worries that “the touchyfeely way of doing things created by Diana has been stopped in its tracks.” The author said the sovereign would not be able to undertake royal engagements “for months, if not years” and goes so far as to suggest the Queen’s reign is “effectively over” because of this.
“How can she carry out investitures, greet ambassadors, do walkabouts and visit places without meeting people at close range?” he asks. “If she gets the bug it could be fatal and would put Prince Philip at risk as well.
“The brutal truth is that her reign is effectively over. COVID-19 has done more damage to the monarchy than Oliver Cromwell. Corona has practically put Charles on the throne.”
Yet this view is challenged as a gross underestimation of the monarch’s ability to adapt. The Queen’s role during the outbreak has arguably been enhanced.
In the run-up to the We’ll Meet Again speech, her finest hour according to Morton, courtiers knew it was a question of “when, not if” the Queen would address the nation. The monarch doesn’t have to say much, that often, to have an enormous effect, and her coronavirus speech was watched by 24 million.
If lockdown has demonstrated anything, it is the respect she still commands. There is a sense that people will want and need continued reassurance from a trusted figure like the Queen, who transcends politics.
Royal aides also point out that while the Queen might not be able to “meet and greet” at the moment, it remains business as usual when it comes to her red boxes, the briefcases that carry her state papers. As well as holding regular calls with the prime minister and other British political figures, she is also in “regular contact” with Commonwealth leaders.
The daily diary of engagements remains full, even though duties are being carried out remotely. According to author Phil Dampier, on the royal beat for more than 30 years, the fact that the monarchy has been “slimmed down” in recent months makes the visibility of the Queen’s future role more important than ever.
“There had been some talk of her handing over more responsibilities at 95, but I think the coronavirus crisis changes everything. The importance of her addresses during lockdown and the positive reaction to that will make her think she’ll want to carry on for as long as possible.
“The truth is, the Queen likes to be busy. She has always enjoyed her job and I can’t see that changing.” If anything, the Sussexes’ departure has helped strengthen the bond among the three generations of monarchy, who are described as acting “in lockstep.”
The idea that Her Majesty would not want to continue carrying out engagements is unthinkable. She is no doubt relishing the idea of the summer season being restored in full in 2021.
If there is one consolation of lockdown for the Queen it is that she has been reunited at Windsor with her husband of 72 years. Both will undoubtedly have benefited from the company.
That the Queen was recently pictured atop a fell pony is also significant. It was the palace’s way of showing the world that she, like the rest of us, is adjusting to a new normal.
Surrounded by 22 members of staff who are all locked down with the royal couple, the tight-knit setup has been dubbed HMS Bubble.