With a sword that had belonged to her father, George VI, the queen approached Mr. Moore, who was standing, instead of kneeling, with his walker. Neither of them wore a face mask, although, as Arbiter noted, “the sword is quite long,” so the two were able to keep some distance. The queen came forward to present Mr. Moore with the single knight insignia, and they chatted for a few minutes.
The queen’s inability to mix with her subjects has forced Buckingham Palace to turn to social media. The palace maintains accounts on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and has published photos and videos of her activities, including a photo of her with her husband, Prince Felipe, on her 99th birthday.
Like other people his age, a person with knowledge of the palace said, he has adapted to technological innovations like Zoom’s calls. The queen has spoken to her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who now live in Los Angeles, on video about the birthday of their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
Her first foray into virtual public engagements was in June, when she and her daughter, Princess Anne, spoke to a group of health workers: The queen was in the center square on the family board of people watching her screens.
Royal observers say the queen’s use of video calls has offered a glimpse into her personal interactions that are often not seen in pictures of her conversation on reception lines. During a recent call with three members of the British Armed Forces serving abroad, she responded to a mix of ironic questions and comments.
When Lance Cpl. Shanwayne Stephens of the Royal Air Force told the queen that she had been on the moon as a pilot for the Jamaican sled team, she replied, “God, it sounds like a very dangerous job,” and asked how she trained. Corporal Stephens told her she was pushing cars up and down near her home in Peterborough, England.
“Well I guess that’s one way to train,” he said, as his eyes widened.
The queen has held other official duties. He still digests the official government documents that are delivered to him in red boxes. A few days before July 4, she spoke on the phone with President Trump, who wished her a “happy birthday, marking 94 extraordinary years,” according to the White House.
