30 March 2021

Queen holds telephone audience with Archbishop of Canterbury

30 March 2021

The Queen had a telephone audience with the Archbishop of Canterbury in which he wished her a happy Easter.

The Most Reverend Justin Welby said it was “a great honour” as he bestowed blessings upon the monarch and her family.

The telephone call between Mr Welby and the Queen, who holds the title of Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, took place on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Welby tweeted a picture of himself with a phone to his ear and wrote: “It was a great honour to have a telephone audience with Her Majesty The Queen this afternoon.

“I was able to update her on the work of @churchofengland throughout the pandemic and wish her a happy Easter.

“May God continue to bless and protect her and her family.”

The Royal Family Twitter account retweeted Mr Welby’s post, confirming the telephone audience had taken place.

The Queen was reunited with the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor earlier this month after the duke spent a month in hospital.

Philip, 99, had a successful procedure on his heart at St Bartholomew’s on March 3 three months ahead of his 100th birthday in June.

He was discharged on March 16.

The duke had been moved to the NHS hospital by ambulance, after initially being treated at the private King Edward VII’s Hospital in central London and then returning there to recuperate after surgery.

The Queen and Philip moved to Windsor on March 19 2020 for their safety amid the spread of Covid-19.

They are being cared for by a reduced household of staff of about 20 people – dubbed HMS Bubble.

The Queen has served as a symbol of national stability during the pandemic, delivering two rare televised addresses to the nation just weeks apart.

She reassured the country that the virus would be overcome, telling those in isolation: “We will meet again.”

In the confines of the castle grounds, the Queen and Philip were pictured together to mark the duke turning 99 in June 2020.

Both have had their first Covid vaccinations.

The Queen has been facing the fallout from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Oprah interview, which was broadcast while Philip was in hospital.

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