Coronavirus: Queen pictured outside for first time
since lockdown
The Queen has been photographed riding in the grounds
of Windsor Castle - the first time she has been seen outside since the
coronavirus lockdown began.
The
94-year-old monarch was pictured on a 14-year-old Fell Pony called Balmoral
Fern over the weekend.
She
regularly rides in the grounds of Windsor, which is said to be her favourite
royal residence.
The Queen
has been isolating there with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, and a
small number of staff.
Queen: 'We
will succeed' in fight against virus
The last
public picture of the Queen was taken as she was driven away from Buckingham
Palace to her Berkshire home on 19 March.
One of her
two Dorgis - named Candy and Vulcan - could be seen next to her as they both
looked out of the car window.
A Dorgi is
a cross between a Corgi and a Dachshund.
The Queen
travelled to Windsor Castle a week earlier than she normally would at this time
of year to socially distance herself during the pandemic
The Queen
carried out official duties the day before her planned departure, but held her
weekly face-to-face audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the phone
instead.
The monarch
is a passionate horse lover and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.
Wearing a
colourful headscarf and smartly dressed in a tweed jacket, jodhpurs, white
gloves and boots, the Queen can be seen in the new photographs taken by the
Press Association riding during the weekend's sunny weather.
The Queen
has made two rare televised addresses to the nation during the lockdown.
In the
first, she said the UK "will succeed" in its fight against the virus
and thanked people for following government rules to stay at home.
It came
less than a week after her son, the Prince of Wales, came out of
self-isolation, following his coronavirus diagnosis.
In the
second, she gave a poignant address to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day,
praising Britain's response to the coronavirus epidemic that has filled empty
streets with "love".
Members of
Royal Family have also been sending messages of thanks and support to key
workers and the public during the lockdown.
The Queen
and senior royals - including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - video-called
healthcare workers around the world to mark International Nurses Day.
A number of
annual events that mark the occasion had to be cancelled due to the pandemic -
including Trooping the Colour, which celebrates the monarch's official birthday
in June.
Members of
the Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, telephoned and
video-called the monarch to deliver their birthday wishes.
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