One Wednesday in March 2020, prime minister at the time Boris Johnson was trying to arrange his weekly audience with the Queen.
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Published: 04:43 EDT, 9 April 2026 | Updated: 04:43 EDT, 9 April 2026
One Wednesday in March 2020, then prime minister Boris Johnson was trying to arrange his weekly audience with Queen Elizabeth.
However, advisers started to worry when they noticed he was exhibiting a symptom that could mean he had coronavirus.
The prime minister was determined to go ahead with the meeting - until his hot-headed advisor Dominic Cummings intervened. 'You will kill the Queen!' he was recorded as saying.
So what happened next? What did the late Queen really make of Boris's behaviour? And what remarkable tactic did advisors adopt to avert a crisis?
Robert Hardman reveals the answer in this week's Palace Confidential newsletter where he will share an extract from his new book that explains what happened next.
Boris Johnson is welcomed by the Queen during an audience in 2019
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