Queen Elizabeth II delivered a historic speech in the wake of the crisis caused by Covid-19
The British head of state addressed the nation to encourage the population in a very unusual gesture by the monarch at a time when the United Kingdom exceeded 5,000 fatalities due to the coronavirus.
A historical speech for the unusual. The British monarchy is characterized by being one of the most hermetic in the world and Queen Elizabeth II does not usually address the nation via television. But the exceptional nature of the health crisis caused by the coronavirus has forced the 93-year-old monarch to deliver a speech of encouragement and hope against the disease.
The 93-year-old British head of state invoked this Sunday, April 5, the spirit of resistance of World War II and, when the country adds almost 5,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, she urged citizens to act with an eye on in future generations.
"Those who come after us will say that the British of this generation were as strong as everyone else," declared the monarch, who extolled in her speech the values of "self-discipline", "calm and humorous determination" and "companionship" in times of crisis.
In what was only the fifth televised speech in the history of her 68-year reign, Elizabeth II called on the British to show resolve to resolve their ancestors' conflicts and to show that they were as strong as previous generations.
"While we have faced challenges before, this one is different. This time we join with all the nations of the world in a common effort, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal. We will succeed, and that success will belong to each. one of us, "continued the monarch.
The transmission came hours after authorities announced that the death toll in the UK from the virus had risen to 621 in the last 24 hours, totaling 4,934, and the number of deaths is expected to rise for next week.
In a broadcast in which images of health workers and citizens applauding from their homes were interspersed, the queen praised the work of the public health system and the employees who remain in their position in various key sectors.
During her nearly seven decades of reign, the sovereign has reserved this type of intervention for especially important moments. She did it during the Gulf War in 1991; with the death of Diana of Wales, in 1997, and that of the Queen Mother, in 2002, and on the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne, in 2012.
Speech from Windsor Castle
The speech that was issued this Sunday was recorded a few days ago in Windsor Castle, east London, where the queen moved in mid-March to protect herself from the epidemic.
Only one cameraman from the BBC public television, dressed in protective clothing, was present in the Castle's White Drawing Room, which was chosen because it allowed a wide safety distance between that technician and the monarch to be maintained.
Other British personalities such as her son, Prince Charles, or Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have already tested positive for the disease. In fact, Johnson was recently transferred to a hospital due to worsening symptoms.
