https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8188019/Queen-invoke-spirit-WWII-extraordinary-address-nation.htmlThe Queen speaks for Britain: Alone in a room with a solitary masked cameraman she will invoke the spirit of WWII and the sacrifices Britain and her allies made before in an extraordinary address to the nation
Queen has only made four addresses to the nation except for Christmas Day
She has spoken on occasions of the Gulf War, the deaths of the Queen Mother and Princess Diana, and to mark her Diamond Jubilee
The broadcast will come from the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle
By Kate Mansey Deputy Features Editor For The Mail On Sunday
Published: 22:15, 4 April 2020 | Updated: 00:08, 5 April 2020
Royal addresses by the Queen are exceedingly rare. They come in times of war, such as the Gulf conflict in 1991, and at times of great sorrow. There was broadcast after the shocking death of Princess Diana in 1997 and another on the eve of the Queen Mother’s funeral in 2002. On just one occasion, for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, Her Majesty took the opportunity to mark a joyful celebration. Never before, however, has there been a Royal address in quite such extraordinary circumstances like these. When, on Thursday, the Queen took her seat in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle to record the broadcast that will be screened tonight, it must have seemed one of the strangest and most troubling duties of her 68-year reign. One source said there was also a ‘Diana factor’ the memory among courtiers of the troubling time when the Queen was criticised for waiting nearly a week before addressing the nation following the sudden death of the Princess of Wales. No such mistakes would be made this time. Never in her reign has there been so much at stake, as the nation struggles with lockdown, the economy reels, and the death toll mounts. A Palace source said the message, written by the Queen and her aides, was ‘deeply personal’ to Her Majesty and reflected ‘her experience in other difficult times’. And for just over four minutes, the Queen looks into the camera and, speaking about the challenge facing the nation, acknowledges the sacrifice people are making. To do so, she mentions those sacrifices Britain and her allies made during the Second World War, making the point that we have come through bad times together before thanks to our strength of character and spirit of unity. In this way, she evokes the spirit of the speech her father King George VI made at the start of the Second World War when he said there would be ‘dark times ahead’ but offered hope that the British spirit would see the country through. There will also be gratitude in the message tonight, however, as the Queen rallies the strength of the British people. A source said: ‘The message will include a thank-you to those on the NHS front line, care workers and those carrying out essential roles. It will also recognise the pain already felt by many families who have lost loved ones and thank those who are following the official guidance to stay at home to protect the vulnerable.’
The monarch, who turns 94 this month, has been self-isolating at Windsor Castle, the residence where she feels most at home. The 98-year-old Duke of Edinburgh is there with her. For days leading up to the filming of tonight’s broadcast, conversations had been taking place between Palace aides and Government advisers, with input and advice from the Queen’s personal physicians, known as the ‘Medical Household’. The question that kept cropping up was: ‘How can we do this safely to mitigate the risk to the Queen and others?’
And in order to comply with the Government’s social distancing regulations, unusual measures were put in place. The Queen would record the poignant message to the nation with just one other person present. It had never been done like this before. For the recording, a microphone had been set up in advance and a team of sound engineers and other technical staff were watching and listening via screens and speakers in the neighbouring Green Drawing Room. While the format of tonight’s address will be familiar to viewers of the Queen’s Christmas message, the framed family photographs that typically accompany Her Majesty during happier broadcasts are absent. Gone too from the recording session were the behind-the-scenes staff the six to nine Palace aides who normally watch over proceedings to ensure all goes smoothly. The Queen is known by the Palace staff past and present for her skill at being able to execute her broadcasts in just one take which any television presenter will tell you is no mean feat. But Her Majesty was required on this occasion to repeat the message several times so that the sole cameraman could reshoot from different angles. A royal source said: ‘A decision was taken to just use a skeleton crew which reflected the time and the seriousness of the subject.’
Chosen for practical reasons, the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle was considered by staff as the best location as it allowed for sufficient distance between the Queen and the camera operator. With portraits of royal ancestors on the walls, an ornate circular carpet, and carved gilded wooden panels, the room is usually the setting for happier occasions. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who will mark their 15th anniversary later this week, posed for photographs in the room on their wedding day. Less than two years ago, Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank also used the room as a backdrop for their wedding photographs. A clearly delighted Queen could be seen beaming widely for the camera alongside her granddaughter. On Thursday, however, the atmosphere was notably sombre. Throughout her reign, the Queen has seen and endured a great deal. Who could forget her ‘annus horribilis’ Christmas message of 1992 the year a fire tore through Windsor Castle and the marriages of three of her four children fell apart?
The White Drawing Room itself, in which this historic address was recorded under extraordinary circumstances, could have been destroyed in the blaze, which more than 200 firefighters battled to contain. Fortunately, however, the magnificent stateroom and the 62 carved, gilded wooden panels in the three drawing rooms of the most damaged wing of the castle survived. It took four years and a £37 million project to restore the rooms to their former glory. Yet restored they were. Palace aides say the choice of Windsor’s White Drawing Room for tonight’s broadcast was driven by pragmatic considerations. But it could hardly have been a more fitting backdrop to provide the country with a much-needed message of hope and renewal.
