The Queen has spoken about her bout of Covid, saying it left her "very tired and exhausted", as she sympathised with a former virus patient who lost his brother and father to the illness.The monarch tested positive for Covid in February and, despite having what Buckingham Palace said were "mild cold-like symptoms", was determined to carry out what duties she could.
She later overcame her bout of the virus and described the experience during a virtual visit to the Royal London Hospital on Wednesday, to mark the official opening of the medical institution's Queen Elizabeth Unit.
During her video call with workers and medical staff, the Queen listened to their stories of coping with the huge influx of Covid patients, and was told by one senior nurse: "We held their hands, we wiped their tears and we provided comfort".
Around 800 people from across north-east London were treated at the 155-bed Queen Elizabeth Unit, built in five weeks to meet the demand instead of the normal time period of five months, and the Queen hailed the Dunkirk spirit that inspired the construction team.