The Queen Was Photographed on the Phone and Accidentally Became a Meme

The Queen is still taking weekly audiences with Prime Minister Boris Johnson despite coronavirus—accidentally creating an amazing meme in the process.

Commonwealth Day Service 2020
(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo)
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  • First things first: Queen Elizabeth II, who met with son Prince Charles a couple of weeks before he was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), remains in great health.
  • So much so, in fact, that she's still taking weekly audiences with Prime Minister Boris Johnson—accidentally creating an amazing meme in the process.
  • She recently issued a statement about COVID-19, saying, "You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part."

The Queen's a meme! Well, technically, Queen Elizabeth memes were already a thing, but it's a rare thing when the Royal Family basically serves us up a meme template on a silver platter. But that's exactly what happened: The royal family's official Instagram posted a side-by-side image of the Queen and Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the phone, having their weekly call but making sure to practice proper social distancing. (ICYMI, Johnson tested positive for COVID-19, and so did the Queen's son Prince Charles, but the official report is that the Queen's in great health. She's a badass, no biggie.)

After marveling over the old corded phones the two were using (also, check out how many corgi references the Queen has on her desk), fans were absolutely delighted by the potential opportunities. "THANK YOU FOR THIS VERY CLEAR MEME," wrote one. "I can already see the memes 😂👍" laughed another.

boris covid phone

(Image credit: @theroyalfamily)

Twitter got in on the fun, too, with fans thinking that this should be a caption competition and thanking the Royal Family for this content we all desperately need right now:

queen

(Image credit: @pollyth0mas)

Now, there are already some pretty great QE2 memes on the rise:

twitter

(Image credit: @MikeyCyrus)

twitter

(Image credit: @mrlkdds)

twitter

(Image credit: @Sandancer60)

twitter

(Image credit: @MattLCapon)

Fans speculated that noted royal satirist Gary Janetti would immediately jump at the chance to write something devastatingly snarky. And, sure enough, in the wake of the news that Prince Charles had been diagnosed with COVID-19:

garyjanetti

(Image credit: @garyjanetti)

Ouch, and also, amazing! I need more royal memes, please.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.