https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-queen-address-nation-coronavirus-21808023?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=EM_Mirror_Nletter_DailyNews_News_mediumteaser_Image_Story&utm_campaign=daily_newsletterQueen to address the nation on coronavirus in TV message on Sunday evening
The Queen has recorded a message at Windsor Castle, which is where she's staying during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic with her husband Prince Philip, which will be aired on TV and radio at 8 pm
By Russell Myers & Zoe Forsey Lifestyle Editor
14:11, 3 APR 2020 Updated15:10, 3 APR 2020
The Queen will address the nation amid the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic from her Windsor Castle home on Sunday.
It will be just the fifth time she has delivered this type of recorded message in her 68-year-reign.
The previous addresses have been on the Gulf War in 1991, following the deaths of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother in 1997 and 2002, and at the end of her Diamond Jubilee Weekend in 2012.
The pre-recorded message will be broadcast on TV and radio at 8 pm and on the Royal Family's social media channels. A statement released by Buckingham Palace this evening says: "Her Majesty The Queen has recorded a special broadcast to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus outbreak. The televised address will be broadcast at 8 pm on Sunday 5 April 2020. "The address was recorded at Windsor Castle."
Discussions surrounding the address have been on-going for several weeks, and she has been working with the government to make sure the timing is just right. A source told the Mail on Sunday: "It has been agreed the address will happen at a key moment in the crisis and that it will be a hugely important way to lift the nation's morale. There is no one more experienced than Her Majesty and she will know exactly the right moment to address the country. Sadly, there are some very difficult times ahead. The country is going to be hurting. The voice of Her Majesty will provide calm reassurance that, ultimately, we will get through this."
Last month, when the death toll stood at 124, the Queen released her first statement on the pandemic. It was released shortly after she arrived at Windsor Castle. It said: "As Philip and I arrive at Windsor today, we know that many individuals and families across the United Kingdom, and around the world, are entering a period of great concern and uncertainty. We are all being advised to change our normal routines and regular patterns of life for the greater good of the communities we live in and, in particular, to protect the most vulnerable within them. At times such as these, I am reminded that our nation’s history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one, concentrating our combined efforts with a focus on the common goal. We are enormously thankful for the expertise and commitment of our scientists, medical practitioners, and emergency and public services; but now more than any time in our recent past, we all have a vitally important part to play as individuals - today and in the coming days, weeks and months. Many of us will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe. I am certain we are up to that challenge. You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part."
