At a council meeting, the Prince of Wales presented 'Letters Patent' on behalf of the Queen, officially recognizing Southend-on-Sea as Britain's 52nd city. Following the fatal stabbing of MP Sir David Amess in October of last year, the Queen bestowed the honor.
Following his election in 1997, Sir David pushed for Southend-on-Sea to be given city status for decades. During a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in adjacent Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, the Conservative MP for Southend West was stabbed to death.
Prince Charles Updates People About Queen Elizabeth's Condition
The assassination of Sir David was described by Prince Charles as an "attack on democracy," and he referenced the present war in Ukraine. The prince recalled meeting Sir David when he and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited Westcliff-on-Sea in 2014. In a ceremony attended by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla on Tuesday, the 69-year-old was posthumously declared the first freeman of the new city, as per Express.
Following her COVID-19 diagnosis, the Queen conducted two virtual audiences at Windsor Castle today, according to Prince Charles, and she is "a lot better now." After canceling similar virtual engagements on two days last week following her positive test on February 20, the 95-year-old head of state felt well enough to talk to diplomats who were present at Buckingham Palace today, nine days after contracting the illness.
At the time of her positive test, Buckingham Palace stated she was suffering from mild cold-like symptoms,' but she was allowed to continue with 'minimal responsibilities' during her illness.
During a visit to Essex to properly present Southend with the Letters Patent awarding it city status following the death of MP Sir David Amess, the heir to the throne reassured well-wishers.
Janice Jacom, 64, an admin worker from a neighboring golf club, questioned the Queen's health as the prince and his wife Camilla went for a long walkabout on the seashore. Today, the Queen received His Excellency Carles Jordana Madero, who presented the Letters of Recall of his predecessor and his Letters of Credence as Principality of Andorra ambassador to the Court of St James's.
His Excellency Mr. Kedella Younous Hamidi, who delivered his Letters of Credence as ambassador from the Republic of Chad to the Court of St James's this morning, was also greeted by the queen.
The Queen donned a green gown with a huge brooch and her signature pearls to both audiences. It comes after the monarch's planned diplomatic reception at Windsor Castle tomorrow was also postponed.
The Queen was scheduled to meet with hundreds of members of the Diplomatic Corps on Saturday, but Buckingham Palace said on Saturday that she had accepted Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's suggestion to postpone the meeting. The decision was reportedly taken in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to Daily Mail.
Prince Charles Condemns the Ukraine Invasion
Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales has warned that freedom is being attacked in Ukraine "in the most deplorable way," offering support to all people fighting back against a violent assault.
On Tuesday, the Prince, who previously compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler, became the most senior member of the Royal family to speak out in support of Ukraine. His remarks follow the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Sunday tweets of sympathy for the Ukrainian people.
We had the honor of meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the First Lady in October 2020 to learn about their hopes and excitement for Ukraine's future. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, subsequently praised the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for showing sympathy with the people of his country, Telegraph reported.
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