Those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.
QUEEN INVOKES BLITZ SPIRIT IN MESSAGE OF HOPE TO NATION
THE QUEEN will tonight urge Britain to rise to the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, speaking of her faith that this generation will prove themselves “as strong as any” that have come before.
Invoking the spirit that saw the country through the Second World War, the 93-year-old monarch will talk of her hope that Britons will be able to “take pride in how they responded”, drawing on the traits of “self-discipline, quiet good-humoured resolve and fellow-feeling” that characterise the UK.
No10 said The Queen’s intervention was designed to “lift the nation’s spirits” as the Government urged people to follow lockdown rules designed to slow the spread of Covid-19 and prevent the NHS being overwhelmed. It comes as:
The death toll of those who tested positive rose by 708, taking the UK total to 4,313. They included a five-yearold with an underlying condition, who became the country’s youngest victim;
Prof Stephen Powis, the NHS medical director, said hospital admissions from the virus had shown signs of “plateauing” in London, the worst-hit area of the country, and new cases had recently “stabilised”, as he warned the UK not to “take our foot off the pedal”;
It emerged that 13 residents at a Glasgow care home had died over the past week following a suspected outbreak;
Watford General Hospital, northwest of the capital, closed its doors to all patients except women in labour, blaming a technical problem with its oxygen supply;
Carrie Symonds, the Prime Minister’s fiancée, revealed she had been in bed for the past week with coronavirus symptoms but was “now on the mend”. She wrote on Twitter of her “worry” about having Covid-19 while she was pregnant, as Boris Johnson also remained in isolation with a high temperature;
Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, revealed that a team from University College London working with Mercedes-Benz was producing 250 breathing aids a day for Covid-19 patients, with plans to increase the number to 1,000 per day this week.
Meanwhile, a shipment of 300 ventilators arrived from China yesterday;
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Dr Gerard Lyons, Mr Johnson’s former economic adviser, and Paul Ormerod, a leading economist, set out a threestage plan to exit the current lockdown;
Ministers updated guidance to allow firms to furlough staff “with caring responsibilities resulting from coronavirus”, to help those struggling to work and care for children not currently attending school
The Queen’s address was filmed at Windsor Castle by a single cameraman wearing protective equipment who stood a safe distance from the monarch, while technical staff worked from the next room.
In a deeply personal message, which will reflect the Queen’s long experience living through crises, including multiple wars, she will say: “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.”
She will add: “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
‘I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge’
attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellowfeeling still characterise this country.”
The four-minute broadcast will be aired at 8pm tonight.
The message was recorded in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, where the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, are living in semi-isolation to protect them from coronavirus. The Prince of Wales, 71, has already contracted the virus, though was well enough to open the temporary Nightingale Hospital at London’s ExCeL centre via video link on Friday.
The Queen will thank key workers, including carers and those on the front line of the NHS.
Her message will recognise the pain already felt by many families and she will thank all those who are following the official guidance to stay at home to protect the vulnerable.
After lengthy discussions between Palace aides and Downing Street about the timing of the address, the Queen chose today to intervene. A senior
‘Hearing from Her Majesty is an important way of helping to lift the nation’s spirits’
No10 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. We have asked the country to make huge sacrifices and life is very difficult at the moment for a great number of people. Hearing from Her Majesty at this time is an important way of helping to lift the nation’s spirits.”
The timing is planned to help motivate the country to stay at home in the coming days. “We’re two weeks in,” a No10 official said. “There is sunny weather outside. We need people to stick at this. If you ignore the guidelines the risk of you infecting someone and ultimately lives being lost is significant.”
The extraordinary broadcast is just the fourth time the Queen has given a special address in her reign during times of crisis or grief.
Yesterday, Unite, the union, said five London bus workers had died after contracting Covid-19. Meanwhile, Mr Gove pledged to cut through “red tape” reportedly impeding the testing of NHS workers.