The Queen will speak to the nation on Sunday about the coronavirus outbreak – only her fourth special address at a time of crisis during her 68-year reign. Buckingham Palace said the message, recorded at Windsor Castle, will be broadcast on TV and radio at 20:00 BST.

The Queen records annual Christmas messages but other addresses are rare. It comes as the number of people who died with coronavirus in the UK rose by 684 in 24 hours, latest figures show. The Department of Health said that as of 17:00 BST on 2 April, the total number of deaths is now 3,605, up from 2,921. There are 38,168 confirmed cases.

In Scotland, the number of deaths has risen by 46, while in Wales a further 24 people died. In NI, the number of people who died with coronavirus has risen by 12.(BBC)…[+]