Queen Elizabeth II is back to her full royal duties. The 95-year-old monarch on Monday, March 7 met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, marking her first in-person engagement since her COVID-19 diagnosis. Buckingham Palace, which confirmed that Trudeau met with the queen “for an Audience at Windsor Castle,” shared a snapshot of the two greeting one another, with the queen smiling and appearing in good health.
The palace did not provide any further information on the meeting, including details about what the two discussed. Trudeau confirmed on Sunday that he would be traveling to the United Kingdom “to further support the people of Ukraine” amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country. In a tweet shortly after his meeting with the queen, Trudeau wrote, “Since day one, we’ve been coordinating our response to Russia’s illegal invasion with our allies and partners.” Trudeau and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte are set to hold a joint conference later in the day. At this time, the queen has not publicly commented on Russia’s invasion, however, an arrangement of blue and yellow flowers, the Ukrainian national colors, were placed behind her during her meeting with Trudeau. She also made a rare private donation to Ukrainian refugeeslast week.
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Her Monday meeting with Trudeau marked her first in-person meeting since the palace announced on Feb. 20 that she tested positive for COVID-19. A spokesman said at the time, “Buckingham Palace confirms that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid. Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.”
In the days that followed, the Queen continued with light work duties, likely referring to her head of state responsibilities, including reading and answering documents and letters.Although the Queen canceled several virtual audiences amid her recovery, she did still hold her weekly audience with Johnson by phone.
The Queen’s diagnosis followed that of her son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The Queen was reportedly fully vaccinated and had also received her booster. She appeared to have made a full recovery by Monday, Feb. 28, when she met with Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children, as well as other members of the royal family, at Frogmore House.
