Queen Elizabeth is set to praise Brits' "good-humoured resolve" amid the coronavirus pandemic in her address to the nation

In her address, the Queen will tell TV viewers: "I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge.

"And those who come after us will say that the Britons of this generation were as strong as any. That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet, good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country."

The Queen will thank NHS staff and other key workers for their attitude during the pandemic in her upcoming address.

She'll also acknowledge the scale of the crisis.

The monarch will say: "I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time.

"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."

Initially, Palace aides had thought to release an address to the nation on Easter Sunday (12.04.20).

But, according to an insider, the decision was taken to move the broadcast forward as the virus spread through the UK.

The source told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "These national addresses are extremely rare and have to be timed at exactly the right moment.

"We only have one shot at this. It's not something that can be repeated in a few weeks' time, but things were moving quickly and that seemed like quite a way off."