The Queen Took Part in Her First Public Zoom to Speak to Carers Across the U.K.

Queen Elizabeth II is on Zoom! The British monarch took part in her first public video call, shared on Twitter on Thursday, to speak to carers across the U.K.

windsor, england april 20 queen elizabeth ii arrives at the queen elizabeth ii delivery office in windsor with prince philip, duke of edinburgh on april 20, 2016 in windsor, england the visit marks the 500th anniversary of the royal mail delivery service the queen and duke of edinburgh are carrying out engagements in windsor ahead of the queens 90th birthday tommorow photo by chris jackson wpa poolgetty images
(Image credit: Chris Jackson)
  • The Queen took part in her first public video call, shared on Twitter on Thursday, to speak to carers across the U.K.
  • The monarch was joined by her daughter, Princess Anne, on the call, and spoke to four caregivers supported by the Carers Trust.
  • Gareth Howells, chief executive of the Carers Trust, said the Queen was "perfectly comfortable with the camera in front of her."

Three months into lockdown, there's a strong chance you are thoroughly sick of a certain video-calling application named Zoom. But Queen Elizabeth II does not feel the same! The Queen took part in her first public video call, shared on Twitter on Thursday, in order to speak to caregivers across the U.K.

The Queen and her daughter, Princess Anne, spoke to people supported by British charity Carers Trust, of which Anne is president. The royals discussed the challenges faced by those who care for friends, family, and neighbors, as well as the support available to them, hearing from caregivers Alex, Amna, Nadia, and Mary.

"Interesting listening to all your tales and stories," the Queen said. "I'm very impressed by what you have achieved already. I'm very glad to have been able to join you today."

Nadia Taylor, who cares for her parents, husband, and daughter, told the Press Association, "The Queen asked questions about how we all coped and called us extraordinary, which was very lovely."

Carers Trust chief executive Gareth Howells, meanwhile, told People that the Queen had no trouble adapting to Zoom. "She was engaging. The Princess Royal has done a few and was more comfortable but the Queen was perfectly comfortable with the camera in front of her," Howells said. "A couple more times and she’ll be a dab hand at it!"

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queen elizabeth ii and the duke of edinburgh pictured 162020 in the quadrangle of windsor castle ahead of his 99th birthday on wednesday photo by steve parsonspa images via getty images

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Emily Dixon
Morning Editor

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.