For the first time, Queen Elizabeth II used video conferencing as part of her royal responsibilities.

Although Her Majesty is still working from Windsor Castle during the coronavirus pandemic, she has been unable to resume public royal responsibilities owing to social distancing laws.

The queen took part in a rare video conference call with her daughter Princess Anne to honor Britain’s dedicated carers.

Credit: Buckingham Palace

Carers Week is an annual campaign that aims to promote awareness for caregivers by emphasizing the work they undertake to care for their family, loved ones, and communities and assisting them in seeking assistance.

“Interesting listening to all your tales and stories,” the Queen said to the gathering. “I’m very impressed by what you have achieved already. I’m very glad to have been able to join you today.”

A Buckingham Palace spokesman acknowledged to Insider that, although the Queen has previously participated in private video call engagements, this is the first time they have been made public.

Currently, 7 million individuals in the United Kingdom are unpaid caregivers for a frail, sick, or handicapped family member or friend.

Alexandra Atkins, 24, of Swansea, who looks after her parents, Helen and Keith, said: “It was amazing enough to know I would be on a call with the Princess Royal as she has been outstanding representative for us, but to find out the day before that The Queen would be there as well made me wonder if I had gone to another planet. We were actually going to be part of history. I couldn’t believe it.

“She [the Queen} actually took it in her stride as well. What was really nice was that while you could tell she had never done that kind of call for work before, she really took it in her stride.

“She was listening to what we were saying and paraphrasing it back to us. It felt lovely to be so appreciated. She called us all extraordinary, which meant a great deal. It seemed as if she really understood and empathised.

“We had the private secretary sorting out the room and trying to allocate the camera in the right place. We were told it was the Oak Room. I was in awe already at that point, without her even sitting there. And then to have them both talking face to face to us, was just unreal.

“It hit me that I was sitting in my bedroom talking to the Princess Royal and the Queen. This just doesn’t happen to people like me. It was outstanding. I do I hope I meet them properly one day as I would like to thank them in person for what they did – and trying something different.”

Nadia Taylor, 44, is responsible for four members of her family. She informed PA that the Queen was on the 45-minute Webex conversation for approximately 20 minutes, and that the group discussed how coronavirus and the lockdown had impacted caregivers.

“The Queen asked questions about how we all coped and called us extraordinary, which was very lovely,” Taylor told PA.

The conversation took place on June 4 and was attended by a number of caregivers as well as Gareth Howells, chief executive of the Carers Trust organisation, according to PA Media. The Queen answered the phone from the Oak Room at Windsor Castle, where she has been under lockdown.

This comes amid speculation that the queen may retire from public life during the pandemic.

Princess Anne is the President of the Carers Trust, which was founded in 1991 as the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. It offers help, resources, and recognition to anybody dealing with the difficulties of unpaid caregiving for a family member or friend.

Etiquette demands that the queen should be the latest to arrive and the first to depart royal engagements – and this was followed even during the video chat.