British Royalty
Despite Omikron: Queen receives Sultan of Oman personally
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain receives Haitham bin Tariq bin Taymur al-Said, Sultan of Oman, and his wife. Photo: Jonathan Brady / PA Wire / dpa
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Elizabeth II has recently canceled most appointments for health reasons. But to receive the Sultan of Oman and his wife personally, she insisted on.
The British Queen Elizabeth II (95) received the Sultan of Oman and his wife at Windsor Castle on Wednesday despite the rapidly growing number of omicron infections in her country.
In the photos, the monarch was smiling in a light blue dress with a pearl necklace. The Queen had recently canceled several appointments for health reasons. Her doctors had ordered her to rest. She had held audiences mainly virtually – also to protect against the corona virus. According to the British media, the fact that Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said and his wife received her personally is a sign of how important London’s relationship to the Arab country is.
Like many older Brits, the Queen is now likely to have been vaccinated against the corona virus at least three times. Nevertheless, the Omicron variant is currently causing political headaches in Great Britain. In London it is already considered to be predominant.
Tweet of the palace
It is therefore uncertain whether the British royals will hold their traditional Christmas meeting in the coming week against this backdrop. The Queen’s children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and cousins usually come together at Buckingham Palace in the week before Christmas. Last year, however, the family reunion had to be canceled due to the pandemic. This year it should take place at Windsor Castle, as the “Sun” reported.
The Queen spends the festive season at her country estate in Sandringham, East England. Here, too, she is usually visited by different parts of the family. This year is the first time since their wedding in 1947 that she has to do without her husband Prince Philip, who died in April at the age of 99, at Christmas.