The Queen has held her first in-person engagement since catching Covid-19. The 95-year-old hosted Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau at Windsor Castle on Monday.
Mr Trudeau is in the UK for talks with Boris Johnson and Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte on the Ukraine war. The monarch, who is also Queen of Canada, was pictured in a patterned dress, standing and smiling warmly at Mr Trudeau as he held her hand.
The Canadian prime minister was also seen laughing as the Queen gestured towards herself during the meeting in the Oak Room sitting room. Her Majesty was pictured without the walking stick she has been using of late.
On the table immediately behind them was a large bouquet of blue and yellow flowers – the colours of the Ukrainian flag. The gesture will be seen as a symbol of the Queen's support for the people of Ukraine. She made a donation last week to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine appeal to help civilians affected by the conflict.
The Queen has a strong bond with Canada, which has been her most frequent overseas destination. She has visited more than 20 times, including a trip as a princess.
As a young child in the 1970s, Mr Trudeau met the Queen several times through his father. Pierre Trudeau was one of Canada's longest-serving prime ministers.
The Queen tested positive for coronavirus on February 20 and has spent the last two weeks carrying out only light duties, including a handful of virtual audiences. Last Tuesday, Prince Charles said his mother was "a lot better now", and the head of state was pictured holding her first virtual audiences since her diagnosis.
The Queen has two high-profile events at Westminster Abbey coming up – the Commonwealth Service on March 14 and the Duke of Edinburgh's memorial service on March 29. She now regularly uses a walking stick and has been pictured looking frailer recently.
The nation's longest-reigning monarch, who reached her Platinum Jubilee milestone last month, recently spent more than three months resting, on doctors' orders. Last autumn she pulled out of attending the Cop26 climate change summit, the Festival of Remembrance and then the Remembrance Sunday Cenotaph service due to a sprained back.
She also missed the Church of England's General Synod. She remarked during a Windsor Castle audience last month: "Well, as you can see, I can't move."
Mr Trudeau is joining Mr Johnson as part of intense diplomatic efforts with foreign leaders to build a united front against Russia. President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine has been met with international condemnation and has seen a raft of economic sanctions imposed on his country and his allies.
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