The heartbreaking reason the Queen's reign is 'effectively over'

Rather sad...

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Queen's reign is "effectively over" according to a royal expert.

The global coronavirus pandemic has meant that vulnerable and elderly members of the British population have been advised to shield in self-isolation - and of course this applies to our 95-year-old monarch.

With the world wide health crisis still taking hold of Britain, a royal biographer has explained that it's unlikely that we'll see Her Majesty conducting her role at public engagements any longer.

With the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony no longer taking place tomorrow and royal pair Prince William and Duchess Catherine carrying out their duties via video calls currently, an appearance of the Queen surrounded by a crowd seems worlds away.

"It's terribly sad but I can't see how the Queen can resume her job.The COVID-19 virus isn't going away soon and will be with us for months if not years," said Andrew Morton,author of Diana, Her True Story.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"It'sfar too risky for the Queen to start meeting people on a regular basis. She has always loved getting out and meeting people but she can't take the risk, " he told The Telegraph.

Hinting that it's likely that Prince Charles will take on the Queen's pivotal royal duties when a somewhat normal way of life resumes meaning that he will take on his role as King early, he added, "The brutal truth is that her reign is effectively over. Corona has practically put Charles on the throne."

He previously noted that the Queen's schedule isn't believed to be resuming until the autumn, with video calls and recorded messages predicted to be on the cards from now on.

The duration of the coronavirus lockdown is believed to be the longest break Her Majesty has ever taken from royal duties during her 68 years on the throne.

The Queen is spending the lockdown period in her royal residence Windsor Castle alongside Prince Philip, meanwhile Buckingham Palace is set to be closed for the summer for what is thought to be the first time in 27 years.

Caitlin Elliott
News Editor

Caitlin is News Editor for woman&home, covering all things royal, celeb, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Caitlin started on local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree. She also worked in Fashion PR as a Press Assistant for Arcadia's Topshop before becoming a part of the Now team. Caitlin went on to add the likes of Woman, GoodtoKnow, WhatToWatch and woman&home to her writing repertoire before moving on to her current role.