Queen photographed in first public engagement since death of Prince Philip

Queen Elizabeth II was seen smiling and out of black mourning wear

Queen Elizabeth appears on a screen by video-link from Windsor Castle on 27 April (Yui Mok/Getty Images)

The Queen has been photographed carrying out an official public engagement for the first time since the death of her husband the Duke of Edinburgh.

The 95-year-old held virtual audiences at Windsor Castle via video-link on Tuesday afternoon with ambassadors from the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.

No longer in black mourning-wear, the Queen was seen smiling and dressed in a blue floral dress and a string of pearls.

It is the first time she has been pictured undertaking her royal duties since Prince Philip died peacefully on 9 April.

Although the funeral was held on 17 April, the Queen remained in royal mourning until 22 April.

The royal family gathered for a final farewell to Prince Philip on 17 April at a socially-distanced funeral at St George’s Chapel, where the Queen was pictured sitting alone.

She returned to work just four days after his death and held her first in-person event on 13 April – an audience with Earl Peel, who relinquished his role as Lord Chamberlain.

The following day, she welcomed Baron Parker as the new Lord Chamberlain.

The Queen used her 95th birthday, which occurred just 12 days after the Duke died, to share a message thanking well-wishers for their tributes to her husband.

She said she and her family were in a “period of great sadness” but were comforted by words of praise for the Duke.

“We have been deeply touched and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life,” she added.

Other members of the royal family have returned to their duties, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visiting air cadets in London last week, while Princess Anne visited three hospitals in Gloucestershire to thank people for their work during the pandemic.

The news follows a recent report that Prince Charles and his son Prince William are “more united than ever” in their vision for the future of the monarchy.

Speaking on True Royalty TV’s programme, The Royal Beat, Katie Nicholl explained that while the Duke of Edinburgh’s death marked “the end of an era”, it was going to “open up a conversation that would tiptoe around those big future issues about where the monarchy is going to go and that inevitable handing over of power”.

Nicholl explained recent events have prompted a conversation between the two royals, who are first and second in the line of succession.

The royal expert said that the father and son are “more united in their vision for the future of the monarchy than they ever have been”.

She revealed to host Kate Thornton: “The sources I speak to say that the notion of ‘sovereign’ is what has reunited them in the wake of Andrew and ‘Megxit’ - that they are stronger now than ever and more focused.”