Queen Elizabeth in October 2018. Photo: Getty Images
Throughout history, the monarch of the United Kingdom has always held a weekly, 20-minute audience with the prime minister. Usually, it is in-person and at Buckingham Palace, but, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Queen Elizabeth and Boris Johnson have had to make some adjustments.
On social media today, Buckingham Palace shared a diptych photograph: The top showed the Queen, at Windsor Castle, on the phone. The bottom showed Boris Johnson, at 10 Downing Street, taking her call. While the entire image was emblematic of the very British saying “keep calm and carry on”—with the head of state and head of the government having their regularly scheduled conversation in the middle of a massive public health crisis—it also gave a fascinating peek into the Queen’s private residence in Windsor.
There were a few decor details we couldn’t help but notice: first being the corgis. Yes, plural. There’s a hefty canine figurine perched on top of her desk, while a lower shelf displays a set of two smaller ones. These are à propos tchotchkes for the queen, a well-known dog lover who is often seen with her beloved pets by her side. (In fact, when she left Buckingham Palace via car for Windsor last week, her dorgi Candy sat in her lap.)
Then there’s the phone she was using: old school, white, and clunky. You can’t see the buttons—but one can surmise they are likely large and chunky (or perhaps even rotary).
Behind her on the fireplace mantle are horse racing trophies. The queen owns a number of thoroughbreds, which she enters in competitions like the Royal Ascot.
One additional object of interest? A fringed lampshade.
It’s been a tough week for, well, everyone, and the royal family is no exception—Clarence House announced today that Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19. (The prince, they said, “remains in good health.”) Yet no matter the circumstances, it’s clear the Queen will always uphold her duties.
Originally published on Vogue.com
