Prince William encourages British citizens to get coronavirus vaccine amid public uncertainty
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip got the vaccine this month
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince William is hoping his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, being vaccinated for the coronavirus will help quell uncertainty about the shot among the British people.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed earlier this month that the Queen, 94, and her husband, Prince Philip, 99, were given a vaccine in an effort to not only inoculate the duo from contracting COVID-19, but "to prevent inaccuracies and further speculation" as well.
The second in line to the throne spoke about his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, during a video call with National Health Service staff and volunteers that was released late Saturday. The medics told William some members of the public are reluctant to get any of the coronavirus vaccines authorized by regulators.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"My grandparents have had the vaccine and I am very proud of them for doing that,’’ William said. "It is really important that everyone gets the vaccine when they are told to."
Prince William urged the public to get the coronavirus vaccine after his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and grandfather Prince Philip, received a dose. (Getty Images)
The disclosure of the royal family members getting the vaccine was meant to end speculation about the matter and to boost confidence in the shots as the NHS seeks to give the first dose of the vaccine to everyone over 70 by the middle of February.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Like in the U.S., British authorities have made vaccinating older people their first priority because they are most at risk of dying from COVID-19.
The queen has been a fixture of hope for Britains since the pandemic surged in the United Kingdom and around the globe in early 2020. In April of last year, she made a rare televised address to U.K. citizens to lift the spirits of people in the country.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time," she shared, "a time of disruption in the life of our country; a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all."
Prince William is encouraging citizens to get the coronavirus vaccine. (Tim Rooke/Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage)
The queen also paid tribute to Britain’s beloved National Health Service and others in essential services, together with around 750,000 people who volunteer to help the vulnerable.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I want to thank everyone on the NHS frontline, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all," she said. "I'm sure the nation will join me in ensuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times."
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Last April, the queen's son, Prince Charles, confirmed that he had contracted COVID-19. The Prince of Wales and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, self-isolated in Scotland, where they recovered. It was reported months later that Prince William also contracted the virus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Melissa Roberto and The Associated Press contributed to this report.