Queen Elizabeth II has highlighted the importance of staying in touch with friends and families during the coronavirus pandemic in her annual Commonwealth Day speech.
Key points:
- The Queen paid tribute to front-line workers fighting COVID-19 in Commonwealth nations
- The pre-recorded message replaces the annual service at Westminster Abbey
- It was broadcast ahead of Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan
Britain’s monarch also touched on the role of technology in keeping people connected amid the global pandemic, in her royal address broadcast 5pm on Sunday local time before Commonwealth Day on Monday.
She made no mention of Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan — the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — which is set to air Sunday evening in the US, and on Monday in the UK.
“The testing times experienced by so many have led to a deeper appreciation of the mutual support and spiritual sustenance we enjoy by being connected to others,” the Queen said in her audio message.
People have become used to “connecting and communicating by our innovative technology” that allows them to “stay in touch with friends, family, colleagues, and counterparts”, she said.
Online communication “transcends boundaries or division, helping any sense of distance to disappear”.
In the rare televised address, the Queen walks down St George’s Hall flanked by Commonwealth flags at Windsor Castle, where she has been residing during the past few months.
The broadcast…
