Queen Elizabeth Just Addressed the Coronavirus Crisis in Rare Televised Speech

Queen Elizabeth has officially broken her silence on the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

On Sunday, the Queen made a rare television address to the public for the first time in nearly 20 years. During her speech, which was previously-recorded at Windsor Castle, the Queen highlighted the specific challenges the U.K. is facing during the pandemic while expressing her gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and other medical staff fighting on the front lines.

“I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time. A time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all,” she said, before thanking the NHS staff and essential workers "who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all." She also communicated her appreciation to those who are self-quarantining at home.

"Together we are tackling this disease and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute then we will overcome it," the Queen continued. “I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humored resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterize this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future."

Ending on a positive note, the Queen acknowledged the acts of kindness she's witnessed during the pandemic and how soon the world will return to state of normalcy once again, telling the Commonwealth: "We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again."

The room at Windsor Castle where the Queen made her address was specifically selected for its size, according to Town & Country. The outlet noted that Her Majesty and the cameraman (who wore personal protective gear) maintained the guidelines for social-distancing, while the rest of the production staff stayed in a separate room connected by speakers.

Last month, the Queen and Prince Phillip left Buckingham Palace to self-isolate in Windsor, and not even her family is allowed to see her. However, she's using FaceTime and Skype to virtually stay in touch with everyone, including her great-grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, and Archie Harrison.