Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip has issued a rare message in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The Duke of Edinburgh wrote the note, shared by Buckingham Palace on Monday (April 20), to everyone who is helping to tackle the pandemic and keep essential services running. “As we approach World Immunisation Week, I wanted to recognise the vital and urgent work being done by so many to tackle the pandemic; by those in the medical and scientific professions, at universities and research institutions, all united in working to protect us from Covid-19,” Philip penned.

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“On behalf of those of us who remain safe and at home, I also wanted to thank all key workers who ensure the infrastructure of our life continues; the staff and volunteers working on food production and distribution, those keeping postal and delivery services going, and those ensuring the rubbish continues to be collected,” he continued.

The monarch’s 98-year-old husband retired from royal duties in August of 2017. While he no longer carries out public engagements, Philip is affiliated with over 780 organizations. Queen Elizabeth reunited with her husband at Windsor last monthafter fleeing London ahead of schedule. Following their reunion on March 19, Her Majesty released a statement saying, “As Philip and I arrive at Windsor today, we know that many individuals and families across the United Kingdom, and around the world, are entering a period of great concern and uncertainty.”

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“We are all being advised to change our normal routines and regular patterns of life for the greater good of the communities we live in and, in particular, to protect the most vulnerable within them,” she added. “Many of us will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe. I am certain we are up to that challenge. You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part.”

Prince William recently revealed that his family is keeping in touch with each other “online” while separated due to the health crisis. “It’s been a really good way of keeping in touch and seeing each other. As you can imagine, the younger generation are a little bit more tech-savy. But only just,” the Duke of Cambridge said. “I think we’re getting there now, the family are getting a little bit more used to being able to contact each other and pressing the right buttons and not dropping the computer halfway through.”