In her special address to the nation on Friday night, Queen Elizabeth II urged Britons to "never give up, never despair." The monarch also dwelled on the coronavirus pandemic that has gripped the entire world. The 94-year-old royal's rare address to the nation took place at the exact same time as her father King George VI in 1945.

The British monarch addressed the nation exactly 75 years after her father King George VI's historic broadcast marking the end of the Second World War. Queen Elizabeth II spoke to the people of UK from her White Drawing room at Windsor Castle. She was sitting at a desk that had a photograph of her father King George VI in his Admiral of the Fleet uniform and her Auxiliary Territorial Services cap.

She wore a pair of Boucheron aquamarine and diamond clip brooches that her father gave her for her 18th birthday. The queen has been isolating with her husband Prince Philip, 95, since March.

In her poignant speech, the queen drew parallels between the wartime generation and those now facing the challenge of COVID-19."They risked all so our families and neighbourhoods could be safe. We should and will remember them." The monarch also spoke of her pride in people's determination to overcome it.

#OTD in 1945, the Allied victory in Europe was confirmed & huge crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace to celebrate. This photo of King George VI & Queen Elizabeth, Princesses Elizabeth & Margaret shows one of their eight balcony appearances that day. https://t.co/IZdh1RJDUS pic.twitter.com/ry90F7lOaS

— RoyalCollectionTrust (@RCT) May 8, 2020

"Our streets are not empty; they are filled with the love and the care that we have for each other," she said as the commemorations had been drastically scaled back because of the outbreak. The Victory in Europe (VE) Day marks the day in 1945 when the Allied forces accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany, bringing the war in Europe to an end.

Queen Elizabeth II
In a rare special address, the queen, who paid tribute to health and care workers, said "common endeavour" would ultimately defeat the virus. Photo: BUCKINGHAM PALACE / -

She recalled the "joyous celebrations" of VE Day, which she witnessed both from the balcony of Buckingham Palace and from the streets below. The queen spoke about "one of the most memorable nights of my life." It was the time when she along with her sister Princess Margaret walked incognitoon the streets as they mixed in with the crowds and experienced firsthand the joy of the people who were celebrating in London.

Queen Elizabeth II