Royal biographer weighs in on how Queen Elizabeth is handling the pandemic

‘She has always had this historical perspective about life, and now she embodies history’
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Marissa Desantis20 May 2020

Queen Elizabeth’s royal biographer and close friends are praising her for her actions during the coronavirus pandemic.

People reported that her historical video addresses to the nation have been especially well received. “She always hits the right mark,” a source told the magazine. “She has impeccable judgment.”

The Queen, who celebrated her 94th birthday last month, made her first public address during the pandemic on April 5th. Excluding her annual Christmas Day message, that speech marked the first televised address the Queen had made since the death of the Queen Mother in 2002.

Queen Elizabeth II attends as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF on July 10, 2018 (Getty Images )
Getty Images

“She has always had this historical perspective about life, and now she embodies history,” the Queen’s historical biographer, Robert Lacey, told People.

Lacey, who is the author of books including Majesty and Monarch, noted that the Queen comparing the current stay-at-home orders to her and her sister Margaret’s memories from 1940 was of particular interest.

Over 23.5 million viewers watched the Queen’s address to the nation
BUCKINGHAM PALACE/AFP via Getty

“It was interesting that she made the parallels with 1940 and then went on to explain that it is now a different sort of international struggle,” Lacey said. “It was sober and realistic, but there was a grounded optimism to it.”

In her April 5th speech where she thanked the NHS workers and boosted morale by assuring the public that “better days will return,” Her Majesty also shared that the current situation reminded her “of the very first broadcast I made, in 1940, helped by my sister. We, as children, spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety,” she said.

Queen Elizabeth II addresses the nation on the 75th anniversary of VE Day
Buckingham Palace

“Today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones,” the Queen noted. Additionally, she recorded her first Easter message that was broadcast on April 11th, as well as a speech for VE Day on May 8th.

“She is of the generation dedicated to duty and what you can do for others,” Lady Carnarvon told People.

The Queen left Buckingham Palace on March 19, as the coronavirus began to spread more rapidly. She has been self-isolating with her husband, Prince Philip ever since at Windsor Castle, where she has been making her televised speeches from.

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