Queen returns to work at Buckingham Palace; talks about 'poor' Matt Hancock in meeting with Boris Johnson

Queen Elizabeth II is back working at Buckingham Palace after isolating for over a year at Windsor Castle. The monarch began her duties by holding her traditional weekly audience with the British Prime Minister at the palace.

The Queen had been holding her routine meetings with PM Boris Johnson over the phone since their last face-to-face meeting on March 11 last year, which was soon followed by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. She welcomed him back at the palace on Wednesday for their first in-person meeting in fifteen months, pictures of which were shared on the royal family's social media accounts.

According to a report in Mail Online, the 95-year-old greeted Johnson by saying, "very nice to see you again," and he replied: "Lovely to see you again. It has been 15 months." When the PM pointed out the length of time that has passed since their last meeting at the palace, the Queen replied, "Has it really? It's most extraordinary, isn't it?"

The Queen has held a weekly audience with her Prime Minister throughout her 69-year reign in order to discuss government matters. The meeting is held in an Audience room in her apartments at Buckingham Palace and their conversations always remain private.

However, the clips of the queen and the PM greeting each other were released this time due to its unprecedented nature, while the contents of their political conversation were still kept confidential. Though there was one hint of political talk this time, as the Queen told Johnson, "I have just been talking to your Secretary of State for Health, poor man, he came to the privy council. He is full of," at which point the latter interrupted and suggested "full of beans."

"He (Hancock) thinks that things are getting better," the Queen added, and Johnson replied, "Well they are..."

The Queen's expression of sympathy for Hancock comes at a very crucial time. The minister has found himself at the centre of a political firestorm after Former Downing Street Chief of Staff Dominic Cummings published text messages from Boris Johnson himself, in which the PM referred to Hancock as "totally f****** hopeless."