"Have you come far?" The Queen speaks by video link from Windsor Castle to the Hungarian Ambassador in Buckingham Palace. Photo / Twitter
"Have you come far?" The Queen speaks by video link from Windsor Castle to the Hungarian Ambassador in Buckingham Palace. Photo / Twitter
Queen Elizabeth II is not on a Zoom freebie account, going by a photo posted to the Royal household's official Twitter account.
It shows the 94-year-old monarch talking, who is isolating at Windsor Castle talking to Ambassador from Hungary Dr Ferenc Kumin and his wife via a video chat.
It's not her majesty's first video call. That took place in June and, despite the "Queen makes her first Zoom call" headlines, US company Cisco confirmed that the monarch was in fact using its WebEx platform to talk to various members of her family and the public.
But it is the first look behind the scenes, and the first time the Queen has used video conferencing technology for official business - a virtual audience with Kumin and two other ambassadors.
Her Majesty appears to be using a 23-inch Cisco WebEx DX80 high definition collaboration screen in the photo posted to Twitter - a display, webcam and microphone purpose-built for videoconferencing that retails for around $3500.
Although not cheap, the DX80 is not in fact the most luxe model is Cisco's Webex hardware line. That would be the 27-inch, ultra high definition Webex Pro, which sells for $8000.
(For those in the cheap seats, Cisco's Webex app can be downloaded free from Apple or Google's app stores, and is no cost for meetings of up to 50 minutes between up to 100 people (paid version add frills including recording, file transfers and unlimited time.)
The Telegraph reports that, keen to ensure that the ceremonial aspect of the occasion remained the same, state Ascot Landau carriages travelled from the Royal Mews to collect the various dignitaries from their respective residences or embassies before driving them through the streets of London to Buckingham Palace for their virtual audience.
There, they were received by Major Tom White, the Queen's new equerry, who was performing his first official duty having only begun in the new role this week.
Queen Elizabeth II appears by videolink from Windsor Castle during a Dec 4 virtual audience to receive His Excellency Dr Ferenc Kumin, Ambassador of Hungary and his wife. Photo / Getty Images
Each ambassador presented their credentials to the monarch by leaving them on a table next to the computer screen, from which they will be collected and sent to Windsor.
It is understood that audiences will continue to be held this way for the foreseeable future, allowing the Queen to continue her work whilst remaining shielded from public contact, the Telegraph says.
Diplomatic audiences have remained almost unchanged since the Victorian era.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "Diplomatic audiences are a long-standing and traditional part of the monarch's role and the hope has always been to restart them as soon as possible.
