Queen: Commentators discuss opening parliament via Zoom

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Radio broadcaster Liz Kershaw said that the Government should be willing to break precedent given that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was able recently to address Parliament via a video link. She said that ‘it would be a shame’ if on her Jubilee year the Queen was kept from her duties due to ill health when there are means available to steer around this issue like Zoom. 

Speaking on GB News, Ms Kershaw said: “Maybe we’ll be able to open Parliament by video link, so on Zoom, as the President of Ukraine recently addressed Parliament.

“[The Queen] is only 23 miles away at Windsor and she’s been conducting her business in that way for two years.

“Don’t drag her out of her parlour. Let her keep warm. She does the Queen’s speech every year that way.

“Even let her prerecord it. It’s an onerous task to do the address. It would be a shame if she couldn’t do it in her Jubilee year.”

David Wooding, assistant politics editor at The Sun, echoed Ms Kershaw’s sympathies, suggesting that while there is no royal example of this, MPs have been making use of Zoom throughout the pandemic.

He said: “It’s a good idea. MPs have been doing debates via Zoom during the coronavirus crisis.

“What would be interesting to see is if it’s necessary for the MPs to leave the House of Commons with Black Rod and be summoned to the Lords to listen to the Queen’s speech.

“She won’t be there, so they could just sit and watch in the Commons chambers.”

In reference to the unprecedented nature of this possibility, he added: “It will be interesting to see how they decide to do that constitutionally.”

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The monarch is still scheduled to attend the key duty at the Houses of Parliament on May 10.

But contingency plans have been drawn up to permit the monarch’s first-born Prince Charles to attend the ceremony in the Queen’s place.

The health of the Queen has been considered a potential issue regarding her travelling from Buckingham Palace to Parliament.

She has only missed two addresses, in 1959 when she was pregnant with Andrew and then when she was pregnant with Edward.

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A royal source told The Sunday Times over the weekend that the Queen still ‘hopes to attend’ the event despite health concerns.

They said: “The date is in Her Majesty’s diary, and she hopes to attend. The Queen remains fit and active, and it is amazing how much she still does.

“But her diary is being paced to reflect the realities of a woman of her age and to ensure that she is able to continue to do as much as she can and would like to do.

“All events will now be scheduled so that if Her Majesty is unable to attend at short notice, another member of the Royal Family will still be present.”

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