The Queen has spoken about receiving her coronavirus vaccine, revealing: "It didn't hurt at all."
Her Majesty also urged people hesitating over whether to take up the jab to "think about other people rather than themselves" as she spoke to officials involved in the rollout.
During a video call from Windsor Castle, the monarch, 94, also compared the Covid-19 pandemic to a plague and said that getting her inoculation had made her feel "protected".
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WATCH: The Queen says vaccine "didn't hurt at all" as she urges people to take up the jab
The Queen, who was vaccinated in January, chuckled when she was asked for feedback on her experience, saying: "Well, as far as I can make out it was quite harmless. It was very quick, and I've had lots of letters from people who've been very surprised by how easy it was to get the vaccine. And the jab was very… it didn't hurt at all."
Her Majesty wore coral pink for the video call and appeared to pay a sweet, subtle tribute to her husband Prince Philip with her Diamond Clematis brooch, which was worn on the day of their engagement in 1947.
Her Majesty spoke to four senior responsible officers overseeing delivery of the vaccine in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, praising the rollout which has now seen more than 18 million people inoculated across the UK.
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Princess Elizabeth wore the brooch when her engagement to Prince Philip was announced
Dr Emily Lawson, Chief Commercial Officer for NHS England, told the Queen: "We hope everyone who is offered the vaccine will take it up, because it is … all of our best chances to protect both the people who take up the vaccine, their families and their communities."
The monarch replied: "Once you’ve had the vaccine you have a feeling of, you know, you're protected, which is I think very important.
"I think the other thing is, that it is obviously difficult for people if they’ve never had a vaccine…but they ought to think about other people rather than themselves."
She added: "I think it is remarkable how quickly the whole thing has been done and so many people have had the vaccine already."
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© Buckingham PalaceThe Queen spoke candidly about receiving her vaccination
During Tuesday's conversation Her Majesty also heard from Derek Grieve, Head of the Scottish Government's Vaccinations Division, about how communities had worked together to get the vaccine out to remote areas.
He said: "So my lasting reflection ma'am would be if I could bottle this community spirit and use it, not just for the vaccination programme but for other things, I think the job would be done."
"Wouldn't it be nice," agreed the Queen. "Well, having lived in the war. It's very much like that, you know, when everybody had the same idea. And I think this has rather, sort of, inspired that - hasn't it?"
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen has been residing at Windsor Castle during lockdown
Her Majesty also heard from Dr Gillian Richardson, Deputy Chief Medical Officer – Vaccines, for Wales, and Dr Naresh Chada, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland who told her: "I've got absolute faith, both in the medical research community - both here in the UK and globally - that we will keep one step ahead of the virus, and that will definitely lead to better times, for all of us."
The Queen replied: "I think this is this is very unusual. I mean it's a bit like a plague, isn't it?
"Because it's not only here that we've got the virus but it's everywhere, so it's a strange battle that everybody's actually fighting."
Speaking afterwards Dr Lawson said the Queen's comments about her own vaccination were an "incredibly important vote of confidence in the programme."
She said: "We just want to make sure we create the conditions where everybody feels able to take up the offer of a vaccination when they're called.
"And Her Majesty offering her view on that is a huge boost to our confidence and I hope to confidence more broadly in the programme."
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