LONDON (Reuters) – With her realm in a state of turmoil following last week’s vote to leave the European Union, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, who turned 90 in April, has not lost her sense of humor, joking that she was still alive.
Elizabeth, the world’s oldest monarch and Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, made the quip, picked up by a TV crew, during a two-day tour to Northern Ireland.
Asked by the province’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness if she was well, the monarch replied: “Well I’m still alive.”
She added: “I’ve been quite busy, there’s quite a lot going on.”
After six decades on the throne the queen has cut back on international tours but still regularly performs official duties around Britain and holds a weekly audience with the prime minister.
She has not made any public comments on the result of the EU referendum.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)
