Back to duty: UK queen returns to public tasks after funeral
Queen Elizabeth II has held her first video meetings since the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip, pressing on with royal duties as she formally accepted the credentials of the new ambassadors from the Ivory Coast and Latvia
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday held her first video meetings since the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip pressing on with royal duties as she formally accepted the credentials of new ambassadors from the Ivory Coast and Latvia.
The monarch, 95, held the virtual audiences from Windsor Castle where she has lived during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the ambassadors were 20 miles (32 kilometers) away at Buckingham Palace in central London
The queen, who ended a two-week period of royal mourning on Friday, wore a floral dress and pearls for the occasion.
Videos from the events were the first released for public view since Philip’s funeral on April 17 at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. Strict social distancing rules forced the queen to sit alone during the service, a spectacle that touched many who had also suffered bereavement in the pandemic.
But as expected, she is now back at work, and in the public eye.
The week before the funeral, the queen attended the retirement of her Lord Chamberlain, who organizes all ceremonial events for the palace, and welcomed his replacement. Neither event was photographed.
The queen celebrated her birthday last week, using the occasion to express her gratitude for all the well-wishers who offered tributes to Philip, her husband of 73 years.
The royal family was in a “period of great sadness,” but drew comfort from words of praise for the duke, she said.