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| Queen reassures Britons of eventual victory over coronavirus; Boris Johnson admitted to the hospital with ‘persistent’ symptoms | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| LONDON — The British people were simultaneously extolled and scolded Sunday, as the queen urged them to show their self-discipline and quiet resolve during the coronavirus pandemic and the health secretary implored them to please stop sunbathing in the public parks. | LONDON — The British people were simultaneously extolled and scolded Sunday, as the queen urged them to show their self-discipline and quiet resolve during the coronavirus pandemic and the health secretary implored them to please stop sunbathing in the public parks. |
| Soon after Queen Elizabeth II spoke Sunday evening, a spokesman for Boris Johnson confirmed the prime minister had been admitted to the hospital because he had "persistent" symptoms of the virus. Johnson tested positive 10 days ago and has been self-isolating at his official residence. | |
| In a rare broadcast to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth — only the fifth in her 68-year reign — the queen said “we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again.” | |
| The queen’s speech, coordinated with 10 Downing Street, was intended to rally national resolve to keep calm and carry on through an outbreak that has taken the lives of 4,934 in Britain so far. | The queen’s speech, coordinated with 10 Downing Street, was intended to rally national resolve to keep calm and carry on through an outbreak that has taken the lives of 4,934 in Britain so far. |
| The U.K. vowed a national effort to produce ventilators. Is it working? | The U.K. vowed a national effort to produce ventilators. Is it working? |
| Buckingham Palace described the four-minute speech as “a deeply personal message . . . reflecting [the Queen’s] experience in other difficult times.” In her remarks, she referred to her first radio broadcast in 1940, when as a 14-year-old princess she made her first public speech to console children who were being taken from London to countryside to escape bombing by the German Luftwaffe. | |
| On Sunday evening, she spoke of “an increasingly challenging time. A time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.” | On Sunday evening, she spoke of “an increasingly challenging time. A time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.” |
| She thanked the front line health care workers and all who were doing essential jobs. She thanked, too, those who were staying at home — “thereby helping to protect the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones.” | She thanked the front line health care workers and all who were doing essential jobs. She thanked, too, those who were staying at home — “thereby helping to protect the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones.” |
| Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access. | Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access. |
| “I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge,” she said. “And those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humored resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterize this country.” | |
| She spoke without flourish. The rhetoric was not soaring but solid. Many said they were moved when 93-year-old monarch and great grandmother promised, “we will meet again.” | She spoke without flourish. The rhetoric was not soaring but solid. Many said they were moved when 93-year-old monarch and great grandmother promised, “we will meet again.” |
| But Health Secretary Matt Hancock didn’t sound so proud on the morning talk shows, where he warned Britons that unless they all took the order to remain mostly indoors seriously, then the government might ban outdoor exercise — as governments in France, Italy and Spain have done. | But Health Secretary Matt Hancock didn’t sound so proud on the morning talk shows, where he warned Britons that unless they all took the order to remain mostly indoors seriously, then the government might ban outdoor exercise — as governments in France, Italy and Spain have done. |
| Britons have been told to stay inside their homes except for infrequent trips to buy food and medicine, to visit the doctor, to do essential work or take an hour or less of exercise outdoors. | Britons have been told to stay inside their homes except for infrequent trips to buy food and medicine, to visit the doctor, to do essential work or take an hour or less of exercise outdoors. |
| Vast coronavirus ‘field hospitals’ fill spaces that hosted wedding expos and dog shows | Vast coronavirus ‘field hospitals’ fill spaces that hosted wedding expos and dog shows |
| On Sunday, with the skies a sunny blue and temperatures soaring up to the low 70s, Britain’s great outdoors — from the countryside to the beaches to the city parks — were filled not just with walkers, bicyclists and joggers, but with picnickers and sunbathers sprawled on lawns. | On Sunday, with the skies a sunny blue and temperatures soaring up to the low 70s, Britain’s great outdoors — from the countryside to the beaches to the city parks — were filled not just with walkers, bicyclists and joggers, but with picnickers and sunbathers sprawled on lawns. |
| “If you don’t want us to have to take the step to ban exercise of all forms outside of your own home, then you’ve got to follow the rules,” Hancock implored the citizenry via BBC. He said most Britons were adhering to the guidelines, but the ones who aren’t might ruin it for all. | “If you don’t want us to have to take the step to ban exercise of all forms outside of your own home, then you’ve got to follow the rules,” Hancock implored the citizenry via BBC. He said most Britons were adhering to the guidelines, but the ones who aren’t might ruin it for all. |
| Hancock has tested positive for the virus. On Sky News, he sounded more heated: “It’s quite unbelievable, frankly, to see that there are some people who are not following advice.” | Hancock has tested positive for the virus. On Sky News, he sounded more heated: “It’s quite unbelievable, frankly, to see that there are some people who are not following advice.” |
| Hancock said the guidance for Britain’s version of lockdown couldn’t be more “crystal clear.” He repeated the admonition that staying at home protects the National Health Service and saves lives — an advisory that became more grim a few days ago when the government released a new ad campaign: “If you go out, you can spread it. People will die.” | Hancock said the guidance for Britain’s version of lockdown couldn’t be more “crystal clear.” He repeated the admonition that staying at home protects the National Health Service and saves lives — an advisory that became more grim a few days ago when the government released a new ad campaign: “If you go out, you can spread it. People will die.” |
| The split-screen news from the queen and health secretary was a little jarring. | The split-screen news from the queen and health secretary was a little jarring. |
| British public health officials worry the public will cease to maintain the extreme social distancing needed to flatten the curve that shows soaring numbers of new infections here. | British public health officials worry the public will cease to maintain the extreme social distancing needed to flatten the curve that shows soaring numbers of new infections here. |
| Sunday also saw the publication of photographs revealing that Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, flouted her own warnings to the public by traveling not once but twice to her holiday home on the beach during the lockdown. Police took the extraordinary step of issuing her a warning. | Sunday also saw the publication of photographs revealing that Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, flouted her own warnings to the public by traveling not once but twice to her holiday home on the beach during the lockdown. Police took the extraordinary step of issuing her a warning. |
| Boris Johnson and U.K. health secretary test positive for coronavirus; chief medical officer has symptoms | Boris Johnson and U.K. health secretary test positive for coronavirus; chief medical officer has symptoms |
| For the queen’s bit, her address was taped at Windsor Castle, where the world’s longest-serving monarch is living in partial isolation with her 98-year-old spouse, Prince Philip. | For the queen’s bit, her address was taped at Windsor Castle, where the world’s longest-serving monarch is living in partial isolation with her 98-year-old spouse, Prince Philip. |
| To protect her royal majesty, the palace reported, the queen was filmed by a lone cameraman, who kept six feet away and wore protective equipment. All other technical staff assisted from another room. | To protect her royal majesty, the palace reported, the queen was filmed by a lone cameraman, who kept six feet away and wore protective equipment. All other technical staff assisted from another room. |
| While her Christmas Day message is an annual broadcast event, the queen has addressed the country in this way only four other times in long reign: on her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, on the deaths of the Queen Mother in 2002 and Princess Diana in 1997, and on the Gulf War in 1991. | While her Christmas Day message is an annual broadcast event, the queen has addressed the country in this way only four other times in long reign: on her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, on the deaths of the Queen Mother in 2002 and Princess Diana in 1997, and on the Gulf War in 1991. |
| The coronavirus has touched the queen’s immediate family. Her son Prince Charles, first in line to the throne, tested positive last month. He spent a week in quarantine at Birkhall, his royal estate in Scotland, and has recovered. | The coronavirus has touched the queen’s immediate family. Her son Prince Charles, first in line to the throne, tested positive last month. He spent a week in quarantine at Birkhall, his royal estate in Scotland, and has recovered. |
| Prince Charles, heir to the throne, has tested positive for coronavirus | Prince Charles, heir to the throne, has tested positive for coronavirus |
| Britain’s battered Labour Party picks Keir Starmer to succeed Jeremy Corbyn | Britain’s battered Labour Party picks Keir Starmer to succeed Jeremy Corbyn |
| Megxit: Trump tweets U.S. won’t pay for security for Harry and Meghan | Megxit: Trump tweets U.S. won’t pay for security for Harry and Meghan |
| Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world | Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world |
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