Queen Elizabeth II Will Address The British People In A Special Broadcast On Sunday

Queen Elizabeth II filmed an address on the coronavirus that will be broadcast to the British people this Sunday, Variety reports. The broadcast is scheduled to air at 8 p.m. local time. It was recorded at Windsor Castle, where the queen is currently staying with the Duke of Edinburgh.

“Her Majesty The Queen has recorded a special broadcast to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus outbreak,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

The broadcast comes following Boris Johnson’s announcement of a stay-at-home order for the British public in response to the virus. According to Variety, the virus has already claimed 3,600 lives in the country.

The queen does not often make unscheduled addresses to the British public. Typically, addresses are made when there is major and unexpected news in the country. The queen has previously addressed the nation on occasions like Princess Diana’s death in 1997 and during the 1991 Gulf War.

As the British public remains on lockdown, the virus has already had an impact on the royal family. Prince Charles announced that he had tested positive for the virus. Other than mild symptoms as a result of the illness, he said he was in good health, according to Variety. One of the queen’s footmen has also tested positive for the illness.

In response to the virus, the queen left Buckingham Palace several weeks ago for Windsor Castle along with Prince Philip. The castle will be the couple’s base of operations for the foreseeable future. The queen also canceled a number of public appearances and is operating with a stripped-down staff in order to help prevent further spread of the virus.

The queen, 93, and Prince Philip, 98, are among those who would be considered high-risk patients if they contracted the disease. Thus far, both are said to be in good health.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the last person to address the British public about the virus. In his address announcing the lockdown, Johnson laid out the rules and said that it was necessary in order to keep the country’s healthcare system from being overrun. The address, which was broadcast on March 23, was watched by roughly 27 million people.

Following the address, Johnson announced that he had tested positive for the virus. Johnson said that he had experienced mild symptoms as a result of the virus, but planned to continue leading the British government from home, according to the BBC.