Queen gifted coronavirus face mask during video call

Commonwealth Points of Light volunteers met Her Majesty on a virtual video call

Performed in celebration of her 73rd wedding anniversary, the Queen enjoyed a virtual concert from a Cypriot children’s orchestra in her first ever video call concert.

Her Majesty logged on to the call with Commonwealth volunteers, and was gifted a 45-person digital concert by Sistema Cyprus, a group who helps support disadvantaged children with free music education and instruments.

The Queen commended the volunteers for their “wonderful” efforts during the pandemic. 

On the video call were three winners of the Commonwealth Points of Light award, including charity worker Ruy Santos, from Mozambique, who runs an organisation that helps provide those in need with nutrition, education and youth employment. During the pandemic, he helped produced thousands of facemasks for his community. 

Santos presented the Queen with a face covering on the call. “From Mozambique with love,” he said. 

Len Peters, another recipient of the Commonwealth Points of Light award was also on the call. He is a turtle conservationist from the Grande Riviere Nature Tour Guide Association in Trinidad and Tobago, and protects 20,000 turtle nests every year. 

His work was featured in Sir David Attenborough's Blue Planet II series." So David Attenborough got to know what you were doing?” asked the Queen. Peters explained: "At night we would walk the beach back and forth protecting the turtles that came up, to try to convince people that it was the right thing to do.

"What we didn't know, that 30 years later that effort would see Trinidad being recognised as one of the most important nesting sites for the leatherback seas turtles in the world." 

“Thank you all for taking part in this programme,” said the Queen on the call. “I’m delighted to have heard your stories and I think it’s wonderful work that you're all doing, and volunteering so much.”

The Commonwealth Points of Light award has so far recognised 163 people for their outstanding charity work, the Queen has awarded a Commonwealth volunteer weekly since Feburary 2018.

The royals have used video calling throughout lockdown to continue engagements. The Queen took part in her first official video conference call alongside her daughter, Princess Anne. 

In the call the Princess Royal was teaching her mum how to use the software: “Can you see everybody? You should have six people on your screen,” she said.