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Queen Elizabeth II

Keep calm and carry on – The Queen conducts her first face-to-face engagement of the year despite Prince Philip’s hospitalisation

The Queen

The Queen has conducted her first in-person engagement of 2021 during an afternoon investiture at Windsor Castle on Thursday.

With people understandably concerned about the health of the Duke of Edinburgh who is spending a third night in hospital, Her Majesty’s message is clear – keep calm and carry on.

At her Berkshire home on Thursday afternoon, The Queen knighted Vice-Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, one of the monarch’s most senior aides.

Sir Tony, Master of the Household, was named as a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the 2020 Birthday Honours List.

He is the first person to be knighted by The Queen since Captain Sir Tom Moore visited Windsor Castle last summer for his honour.

As Master of the Household, Sir Tony is responsible for running all of The Queen’s official residences.

He forms part of ‘HMS Bubble’ – a group of royal aides who are isolating alongside the monarch at Windsor.

Both The Queen and Prince Philip were vaccinated earlier this year, meaning they have increased immunity to becoming seriously ill with the ongoing virus.