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LONDON (AP) – There is no place like home.
Queen Elizabeth II reminded a group of school children studying space exploration of the importance of returning to Earth as she recalled in a video call the first man to make the trip – Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
The monarch, who invited Gargarin to Buckingham Palace shortly after his historic 1961 flight, was asked what the pioneer space man looked like, according to details of the appeal released by the palace on Friday. .
“Russian,” she replied with a smile as her audience laughed. “He didn’t speak English. He was fascinating, and I guess being the first was particularly fascinating. ”
Space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock, who hosted the session to mark British Science Week, said it must be terrifying being the first man in space and not knowing what’s going to happen.
“Well, yeah, and if you could come back,” the queen replied. “Its very important.”
Wednesday’s call with students at Thomas Jones Primary School in west London came during a difficult week for the Queen, after the royals were rocked by accusations of racism and insensitivity brought against them by Prince Harry and Meghan.
But despite the controversy, the Queen continued with her work, much like she has for decades. Scientists at the London Science Museum briefed her on NASA’s Mars Perseverance mission and discussed the discovery of fragments of a meteorite earlier this week in England.
The group gave the Queen a set of Mars Perseverance rover face masks, which were sent from NASA headquarters to Windsor Castle. Professor Caroline Smith of the Natural History Museum has requested that one of the masks be given to Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband, due to his long interest in science and space exploration.
The prince, 99, is recovering in a London hospital after undergoing heart surgery.
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