Queen carries out her first public royal engagement since before lockdown

The Queen sought to send a reassuring message to the county as she got back to business today, carrying out her first public engagement outside of a royal residence since before the coronavirus pandemic gripped the nation.

Her Majesty was joined by her grandson Prince William at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) at Porton Down near Salisbury to meet scientists supporting the UK’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak. 

It is the first time the Queen has ventured from a royal residence in seven months, outside of her household of reduced staff – dubbed HMS Bubble – to carry out her duties as head of state. 

But while the pair maintained strict social distancing, neither opted to wear face coverings despite her Majesty falling into the ‘at risk’ age bracket.

The 94-year-old shunned a mask, seen by some royal fans as a positive and uplifting message in the face of another looming lockdown.     

Heightened safety precautions were taken ahead of the visit to protect the Queen against coronavirus as she flew to the site in a helicopter, while the Duke of Cambridge arrived by car.  

All 48 people who were due to come into close contact with them were tested for Covid-19 by Dstl beforehand, and while the testing process is still not foolproof, all came back negative.

Kensington Palace declined to comment as to whether the duke was also required to have a test in order to be able to accompany his grandmother.

Second in line to the throne William and the Queen, who previously would have been side by side, walked two metres apart as they were greeted by staff. 

The Queen has spent lockdown at the Berkshire residence for her safety, but has been busy behind closed doors, carrying out telephone audiences, video calls and dealing with her red boxes of official papers.

During the visit this morning the royal pair were also introduced to staff involved in the rapid response to the Novichok poisoning attack in Salisbury in 2018. 

Small groups of those taking part in the royal visit were also arranged two metres apart for social distancing. 

The choice by British royals not to wear face coverings comes in sharp contrast to the decision made by many of the European monarchs including Queen Letizia and King Felipe, and Queen Mathilde.

 Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge have however been seen sporting floral face masks during recent outings.

Their decision falls in line with government guidance and new laws introduced at the start of the pandemic, which state people must wear masks indoors. 

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: ‘Specific advice has been sought from the medical household and relevant parties, and all necessary precautions taken, working closely with Dstl.’ 

But the Salisbury engagement comes amid a resurgence of the virus, as the country battles a second wave and stricter restrictions for some areas. 

A memo issued to staff in April from the master of the household Tony Johnstone-Burt, a former Royal Navy Officer called the mission to protect the Queen and Prince Philip ‘HMS Bubble’. 

The bubble requires 24 dedicated employees which work in two teams of 12, with a three week on, three week off rota. Staff are forced to spend a week in isolation and pass a coronavirus test before each three week shift begins. 

The Queen, whose eldest son the Prince of Wales contracted a mild form of coronavirus, delivered two rare televised addresses to the nation just weeks apart during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

She reassured the country that the virus would be overcome, telling those in isolation: ‘We will meet again.’

In another speech to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, she told how the message at the end of the war in Europe was ‘never give up, never despair’.

The Queen was last at an official public engagement outside of a royal residence when she joined the royal family for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9.

In July, she knighted Captain Sir Tom Moore for his fundraising efforts in the grounds of Windsor Castle, where she also watched a mini socially-distanced Trooping the Colour for her official birthday in June. 

It was the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s final public appearance before they quit as senior working royals for a new life in the US.

The monarch travelled to Balmoral for her private summer break and then spent a few weeks in Sandringham before returning to Windsor on October 6.

Today, the Queen and William were greeted by Dstl’s chief executive Gary Aitkenhead for a tour of the Energetics Enclosure to see displays of weaponry and tactics used in counter-intelligence.

They were also shown the £30 million state-of-the-art Energetics Analysis Centre to meet counter-terrorism staff and see a demonstration of a forensic explosives investigation.

The pair then spoke to those involved in identifying the nerve agent following the Novichok incident, and those who worked on the decontamination clean-up operation.

The Queen was on good form as she quipped while signing the guest book: ‘Well it proves we’ve been here, doesn’t it?’

She was dressed in her trademark block colours – a Stewart Parvin old rose cashmere coat and silk dress of autumnal woodland florals with a matching Rachel Trevor Morgan hat – with black gloves and her signature black Launer handbag.

There was also the traditional royal duty – the unveiling of a plaque to officially open the Dstl’s new £30 million Energetics Analysis Centre, used by scientists for counter-terrorist work. 

Russian intelligence has been accused of being behind the attempted nerve agent assassination of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury. 

Dawn Sturgess and her partner Charlie Rowley fell ill in nearby Amesbury months after the attack, and Ms Sturgess later died after coming into contact with a perfume bottle believed to be linked to the case.

Military teams spent 13,000 hours on the clean-up. They took 5,000 test samples from across Salisbury and nearby Amesbury during the 355-day operation.

In recognition of their work, the duke was presenting the Army’s Headquarters South West with the Firmin Sword of Peace for going above and beyond their normal duties in the community.

Scientists at Porton Down laboratories are currently assessing rapid antigen tests as the UK remains in the grip of the pandemic. 

In March, human and animal trials for a British vaccine against the coronavirus began at the Government’s secret science base Porton Down.

Scientists started testing the drug, made at Oxford University, on animals at the Wiltshire base before trialling on humans. 

In July, it was revealed that Number 10 maverick Dominic Cummings was touring highly secret military and security service sites, including Porton Down, amid claims he was determined to ‘sort out’ hapless procurement and organisation.