Even the Royal Family is opting for socially distanced meets.
The senior royals took their first group portrait of the year at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. But because it’s 2020, they had to make it a wide shot, with all the households maintaining six feet of distance from one another.
Queen Elizabeth met with her eldest son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; her youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex; and her grandson Prince William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. They gathered to thank frontline workers and volunteers who are helping the country get through the Covid-19 pandemic.
The royals have been personally affected by the virus. Prince Charles contracted Covid in March. Prince William also reportedly tested positive in April.
In the spring, the Queen — who rarely gives public addresses, outside of her regular Christmas speech — gave a hopeful address about the pandemic.
“If we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it,” she said.
When the photos were taken on Tuesday, Prince William and Kate Middleton had just completed a train tour of the UK where they thanked frontline workers across England, Scotland and Wales. But the tour wasn’t without controversy: when asked about the tour by the BBC, Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething replied, “I’d rather that no one was having unnecessary visits.”
Despite the safety protocol, the royals all seemed in good spirits on Tuesday — particularly the Queen, who was all smiles, decked out in a bright red coat and matching hat.
