'True leader' Karren Brady praises Queen for putting country first after losing 'soulmate'

express.co.uk:

Queen was reportedly offered exemption from Covid rules to grieve for her husband Prince Philip at his funeral.The Apprentice star Karren Brady has praised the monarch after she was claimed to have refused this, arguing this makes her a “true leader”.Karren shared her thoughts in her latest column as she admitted feeling unsurprised by the news.Earlier this week, Private Eye reported that Downing Street offered for the Queen to have more mourners at Prince Philip’s funeral.Number 10 reportedly offered to temporarily lift some of the rules in place back in April 2021.However, the Queen had refused this as she wanted to set an example for the nation.Karren wrote in The Sun today: “Is anyone else entirely unsurprised to hear that although Downing Street offered the Queen a Covid exemption for Prince Philip’s funeral, to allow more mourners, she turned it down?”The business mogul argued this was in stark contrast to politicians who have been caught in a dispute over hosting lockdown parties.“In a show of solidarity that is the polar opposite of the ‘one rule for us, another for them’ accusations that have been flying around politicians lately,” she continued, “The suggestion was rejected by Her Majesty.”Karren argued: “That’s why we all admire the Queen.“It is amazing that, at a time of enormous personal grief, she was still thinking about the feelings of the rest of the country.“Although she was in mourning over the loss of her life partner and soulmate, she would not accept preferential treatment, likely because she knew it would not have been fair on the rest of us.“That’s what true leadership is all about.”The Queen memorably sat alone at Prince Philip’s funeral wearing a mask in the church.At the time, funerals were.