Queen Elizabeth’s ‘Keep Calm’ Coronavirus Strategy Wasn’t Realistic For a Modern Monarchy
In the past few months, the world went into a state of panic when the coronavirus began to rapidly spread, and people grew sicker and sicker. The sad reality is that it has caused quite a few deaths around the world, and everyone is taking extreme measures to keep themselves as safe as possible.
The impact is significant: businesses are shutting down, schools and universities are shifting to remote learning, companies are opting for work from home policies, and travel bans have been implemented worldwide. No one, not even the members of the royal family, are taking this pandemic lightly, and everyone has their own strategy on how to handle things.
Experts have said those over the age of 60 are considered to be “high-risk” and that includes Queen Elizabeth. Reportedly, the queen’s coronavirus strategy is to “keep calm and carry on.”
The coronavirus scare of 2020
Until recently, things were running pretty smoothly for the royal family. The biggest shocker of 2020 for most people seemed to be when Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced that they would be stepping down from their roles as senior royals and before we knew it, Megxit was in full swing.
All of a sudden, the coronavirus began to spread, and everyone scrambled around trying to figure out what to do. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that supplies such as milk, bread, and eggs, and of course, hand soaps and sanitizers began to fly off of store shelves, as people hoarded the necessary products needed in case they were placed on lockdown. Entire cities were asked to practice “social distancing,” and thousands of events, concerts, and sporting events were canceled.
Queen Elizabeth sparked rumors by wearing gloves
At the age of 93 years old, it may very well be possible that Queen Elizabeth is slightly more at risk for contracting the coronavirus than some others. While handing out an award recently, many people noticed that she was wearing a pair of gloves during an investiture ceremony.
Why was this significant? Because of the fact that her majesty hasn’t done so in over six decades. While she certainly doesn’t seem to have gone into a frenzy with all of the coronavirus panic that is going on, the queen knows that she has to take the proper preventative measures in order to keep herself as healthy as possible.
For someone with such a high-profile job such as hers, where she comes into contact with countless amounts of people, it must be difficult to make certain decisions regarding keeping the spread of illness under control.
Queen Elizabeth’s original coronavirus strategy was to ‘keep calm and carry on’
Times are tough right now, as the entire world is dealing with a situation that no one possibly could have predicted. Everyone has a different way of handling things. For some, they are keeping themselves in total isolation and hoarding toilet paper, and others are going about their daily routines while wearing face masks.
So, what is Queen Elizabeth’s coronavirus strategy? The New York Post reported that her majesty was going to “keep calm and carry on.” She reportedly wanted to lead by example.
While her intentions were noble, the queen took a major risk to her own health and, in turn, the monarchy. For a leader who has reigned as long as the queen, the decision could be seen as irresponsible and yet another example of how the British monarchy is lagging with modern times. Scientists have confirmed from earlier cases that the coronavirus spreads more easily than seasonal flu.
What’s more, the queen is no stranger to pandemics. The Asian flu pandemic of 1957 — caused by a virus known as influenza A subtype H2N2 — claimed 1.1 million lives around the globe and 3,550 in Britain. Queen Elizabeth was a reigning monarch then and in her 30s, a notable age difference from her current state.
Most recently, the swine flu infected up to 1.4 billion people across the globe and killed anywhere from 151,700 to 575,400 people, according to the Centers for Disease Protection and Control. The queen didn’t alter her schedule for the swine flu.
“The Queen didn’t change her schedule during the swine flu outbreak and has never changed her schedule after terrorist attacks,” a source told the Mail on Sunday.
As the COVID-19 pandemic escalated and the U.K. government took stricter steps. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown: All restaurants, cafes and pubs, cafes would shut down for everything except go-to orders. Schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were shut down until further notice.
What is Queen Elizabeth’s current strategy for COVID-19?
Queen Elizabeth indefinitely shut down the iconic Changing of the Guard ceremony. It takes place four times a week at Buckingham Palace. The actual ceremony will continue but not in its typical location, as a measure to prevent crowds.
“In line with Government advice to avoid mass gatherings, it has been agreed that the ceremonial of the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle will be postponed until further notice. Advice will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, with a view to restarting when appropriate,” said Buckingham Palace in a statement.
The royal family has also canceled overseas trips and several large-scale events. The queen, in particular, has postponed her annual Buckingham Palace garden parties until next year and canceled her upcoming visits to Cheshire and Camden.
“In consultation with the Medical Household and Government, a number of public events with large numbers of people due to have been attended by The Queen, and other Members of the Royal Family, in the coming months will be cancelled or postponed,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
The queen also issued a statement in support of social distancing.
“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,” said the queen in a recent statement. “You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part.”
Queen Elizabeth II left Buckingham Palace for Windsor Castle. While the queen typically heads to the Berkshire-based castle for Easter, she left early due to COVID-19.
