Queen on LOCKDOWN: Buckingham Cancels This Important Royal Event Due To Coronavirus
Queen Elizabeth II is now in a lockdown due to the spread of COVID-19 also known as the coronavirus, and it forced her to cancel one important event.
On January 14, the Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II would be meeting Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan.
To formally prepare the monarchy for the then-scheduled meeting, the palace released a statement which confirmed that "Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan have accepted an invitation from Her Majesty The Queen to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom in Spring 2020."
It also stated that the Emperor and Empress would stay at Windsor Castle during their visit.
However, days before the United Kingdom welcome Spring 2020, the Queen -- through the Buckingham Palace --announced the postponement of the historic visit.
As written on the brief document, Queen Elizabeth II decided to step back and canceled the state visit after consulting her government and the Government of Japan.
They also agreed to have it set at a later date when the spread of the virus pandemic starts to quiet down.
More Canceled Engagements
It was not the only important royal engagement that the royal family had to let go because of the coronavirus.
The soon-to-be 94-year-old monarch marked her last event the day before the cancellation. Since the disease disrupted her ironed working schedule, she chose to travel to Windsor Castle one week earlier in order to keep herself safe.
A spokesperson of Queen Elizabeth II divulged that Her Majesty will take her Easter break earlier, before adding that she might stay at the Windsor Castle beyond the Easter period.
In addition, the sensible precaution they decided to take was due to the Queen's popularity, and every event where her attendance could be confirmed would have attracted more audiences.
It is worth noting that Prime Minister Boris Johnson already released a statement and urged his people to take part by doing social distancing and avoiding mass gatherings to avoid coronavirus to spread further.
Aside from Queen Elizabeth II, the schedules of the other members of the royal family have also been interrupted.
For instance, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were supposed to jet a long tour to Cyprus and Jordan after the heir to the throne's solo visit to Bosnia.
However, Clarence House said that the British government asked the royal couple to postpone their scheduled spring tour because of the pandemic.
Queen Elizabeth II Spoke Up!
On Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II published a message via her press office to address the coronavirus that is currently ravaging the world right now.
"As Philip and I arrive at Windsor today, we know that many individuals and families across the United Kingdom, and around the world, are entering a period of great concern and uncertainty," the statement said, addressing the worsening situation.
Her Majesty said that they received a piece of advice that they should change their day-to-day schedule "for the greater good of communities" while protecting the most vulnerable citizens.
The message came after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also shared their message on Instagram but got slammed for being insincere in return.
