Queen Elizabeth took part in her very first public Zoom video call with her daughter, Princess Anne, and four carers last June 4. The royals had a chat over the challenges faced by carers amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Queen, who is 94, didn't appear to have challenges using the technology that allows people to meet online and practice social distancing. One of the carers said that the monarch was "perfectly comfortable" in front of the Zoom camera.
According to Time, the Queen was the last to join the Zoom conference call and the first to leave, which has always been the protocol for her actual royal engagements. The call lasted for about 20 minutes, with the Queen logging on from Windsor Castle's Oak Room, where she has been isolating since mid-March.
On Thursday, the Royal Family social media account shared the clips from the video call, where the Queen told the carers that she's very impressed by what they have achieved. She also told them she was glad to be able to join the conference call.
Carers Week highlights the work provided by seven million carers across the U.K. This year has been especially challenging as carers isolating with vulnerable communities need to step it up and take on new responsibilities to ensure their health.
The chief executive of the Carers Trust, Gareth Howells, told People that the Queen was keen to learn of the stories of the carers she talked to. She asked many questions from them and was quite engaging.
Princess Anne has set up The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, a charity that supports carers. The Princess Royal established the trust for volunteer family carers and she has been the president of the charity since 2012.
Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth is set to celebrate her official birthday on Saturday, June 13. The Trooping the Colour is an annual event to honor the monarch's birthday but it will be a scaled-down affair this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Queen Elizabeth will be watching a small and brief military ceremony but palace aides said the public is not encouraged to come to the Windsor estate since there will be not much to see from the ground. Windsor Castle will still remain closed to public to ensure the Queen is safe from the virus.
Those who'd like to watch the Trooping the Colour ceremony, however, may do so later in the day when the BBC airs the scaled-down ceremony.
