Queen Elizabeth II is putting an indefinite hold on all upcoming royal duties due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 94-year-old sovereign, who had previously canceled her travel plans in March and relocated to Windsor Castle prior to the Easter holiday, is now canceling all upcoming royal duties and travel plans, according to a report by The Times of London. This is expected to be the queen’s longest absence from public duties in her nearly 67-year reign.
The queen’s decision doesn’t come as a surprise given the U.K. is on lockdown because of the virus. Several events the queen was expected to attend, including Trooping the Colour (the queen’s birthday celebration) and Royal Ascot, have also been canceled due to safety concerns.
Queen Elizabeth was scheduled to travel to South Africa in October, but the report indicates the trip is now “up in the air.”
While self-isolating at Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth gave a rare TV address on April 6 on the pandemic, during which she recalled the very first broadcast she made with her sister Princess Margaret during World War II.
“We, as children, spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety,”
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