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The Queen is holding her first public engagement off the palace grounds since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, visiting the Porton Down Defense Science and Technology Laboratory near Salisbury with the Duke of Cambridge.
It’s the first time that the Queen has officially met with members of the public outside Windsor Castle, after he moved from Buckingham Palace in March to live in Windsor due to COVID-19.
The Queen and Prince William are visiting Porton Down in Wiltshire to officially inaugurate the new Energy Analysis Center.
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They have met with scientists involved in highly ranked research and analysis to protect the UK against terrorist and criminal threats.
The royal family also spoke to staff involved in the identification of the novichok nerve agent and the subsequent clearance of the Salisbury attack in 2018.
They spoke with scientists who have been supporting the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic by researching and deploying microbiologists to NHS hospitals to increase testing capabilities.
They will also see a demonstration of a forensic explosives investigation (FEL) and meet personnel employed in the fight against terrorism and security.
FEL teams provide evidence and expert witness statements in explosives-related court cases.
Their support was crucial in providing evidence of terrorist cases, including the Manchester Arena and Parsons Green attacks.
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Greater safety precautions were taken prior to the visit to protect the Queen against the coronavirus.
The 48 people who were to come into close contact with the monarch and the duke were tested for COVID-19 by Dstl.
Small groups of the participants in the actual visit arranged themselves six feet apart for social distancing.
During the pandemic, the Queen has been protected at Windsor Castle along with the Duke of Edinburgh.
The only times she has ever been officially seen in public has been within the castle grounds, for a military parade for her official birthday celebrations and in July, when she gave a knighthood to Captain Tom Moore.
For the first time for the Queen, she has carried out virtual commitments, using video calls to talk to charities, the military, and even to unveil a portrait of herself.
In August, the Queen and Prince Philip were able to travel to Balmoral in Scotland for their annual summer vacation before also spending a short time in Norfolk in late September.
Prince Philip has remained in Norfolk, while the Queen returned to Windsor.
The palace said it could use Buckingham Palace for some official hearings and engagements in the coming months, depending on current COVID restrictions.
