The Queen goes maskless at first public appearance in five months after 'having second Covid jab'

The Queen makes first public appearance after having second Covid jab
(Image credit: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Queen made her first public appearance in five months yesterday, going without a face mask as she met with Royal Australian Air Force personnel.

The royal engagement is the first the Queen has conducted in public in almost half a year, having spent lockdown at Windsor Castle.

The appearance was made in honour of the centenary of the Air Force and wreath was laid on Her Majesty’s behalf before she met serving RAAF personnel.

The Queen admitted she was “delighted” to be out for her first public engagement since November last year.

"It is a rather nice day. I’m delighted to be here," she told those she met at the special event.

The Queen was last seen conducting royal work out in public when she led the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London on November 8th.

The Queen

Credit: Getty

The monarch made yesterday's outing without her husband, Prince Philip, who recently underwent an heart operation during his longest ever hospital stint.

He returned to Windsor Castle in March and issued a statement thanking the medical staff who cared for him.

For most of the year, the Queen and the rest of The Firm have joined the world in communicating over Zoom and video calls.

A photo posted by on

The Queen is thought to have had the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, having been given her first jab in early January.

“Given the Queen has decided to make a public appearance so close to 12 weeks after the announcement of receiving her first vaccine it is clear she has already had her second," a source told The Sun.

“Aides won’t have wanted to put her at any risk.

“It is obviously much more reassuring to know that anyone who has received two doses of the vaccine is so well protected — even aged 94.”

Caitlin Elliott
Junior News Editor

Caitlin is a Junior News Editor for Goodto.com, covering all things royal, celeb, lifestyle, food, and family. Having set her sights on becoming a magazine journalist when she was a child, Caitlin took on work experience stints at local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree and has interviews with celebs, reality stars and the Archbishop of Canterbury under her belt (of course, she couldn't resist asking him about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry).