Though Donald Trump once claimed that he has great fun with Queen Elizabeth whenever the two get together, the pictures from some of his previous visits to England seem to disprove that. Still, the queen usually includes him when she deals with other world leaders, and this week, that extended to a series of phone calls. On Tuesday, Trump and the queen had a conversation that seemed pretty subdued, if you go by the White House’s version of events.
According to a statement from deputy press secretary Judd Deere, the queen and Trump talked about the lives lost to coronavirus and its effect on the global economy—along with a little bit of personal chatter. “The president wished the queen a happy birthday, marking 94 extraordinary years,” it read. “The president and the queen also reaffirmed that the United States and United Kingdom stand together in our special relationship and will emerge from this trying time stronger than ever before.”
Over the last few months, the queen has also spoken to New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, and Canada’s Justin Trudeau. Before coronavirus, the queen rarely conducted official business by telephone, and would typically host these world leaders in person. Now, these conversations are just one way the palace staff are making sure her summer is as normal as possible despite the queen’s strict lockdown at Windsor Castle.
She’s been riding her horses nearly every day, and earlier this month, they brought a mini-Trooping the Colour to the Windsor grounds. Though the queen had to skip Royal Ascot for the first time in her 68-year reign, she still wrote her traditional introduction and entered horses in the racing portion. One of her horses, Tactical, won a race, and the queen reportedly watched it on TV at home.
Travel restrictions for people over 70 have complicated the queen’s plans for her usual summer vacation. She will eventually make her way up to Balmoral Estate once they are lifed on August 1, according to the Sun. She usually spends 12 weeks every summer at the Scottish estate, staying at Craigowan Lodge before moving into Balmoral Castle once it closes to visitors in mid-August. Since the castle remained closed due to the pandemic, she will head straight there, according to royal insiders who spoke to the newspaper. “Preparations are well under way,” one of their sources said. “Everything will be checked and double-checked to ensure there is no risk. But it has also helped planning that Scotland has been free of coronavirus deaths for almost a week now.”
The newspaper also reported that hikers have been using the estate as an outdoor toilet as public restrooms have closed due to coronavirus. Scotland is planning to open them again sometime in July. The queen might have to exercise a little bit of caution if she does decide to resume her regular country excursions while she’s there. But if she’s anything like the rest of us, she’ll probably be happy just to get outside of her house for a little while, regardless of the threats she encounters.
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