The Queen has spoken for the first time about Covid-19, saying that it left her “very tired and exhausted” as she hailed the Dunkirk spirit displayed during the pandemic.
Marking the official opening on Wednesday of the Queen Elizabeth Unit for critical care patients at the Royal London Hospital, of which she is patron, the Queen spoke to Jeff Barley, director of the construction project.
Told that the unit, which has cared for 800 patients in 18 months, was built in only five weeks thanks to “a little bit of Dunkirk spirit”, the Queen replied: “Thank goodness it still exists. It is very interesting, when there’s some vital thing, how everybody works together.”
The Queen, 95, suffered cold-like symptoms and cancelled engagements after contracting the
