The Queen puts in a surprise call to Justin Trudeau on Victoria Day

The Queen has put in a surprise call to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in honour of Victoria Day, a Canadian holiday marking the birthday of Queen Victoria.

The monarch reached out to Trudeau over the phone, chatting with him about the special day as well as the current coronavirus pandemic.

Canada and the UK have both faced challenges during the pandemic, with Prime Minister Trudeau's own wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Fortunately, she has since recovered, but the two world leaders know how challenging the pandemic has been for their people.

Taking to Instagram, the Canadian Prime Minister shared his experience of the call and thanked Her Majesty for taking the time to reach out.

"I spoke on the phone with Queen Elizabeth II today," Prime Minster Trudeau captioned a photo of himself on the phone.

"We talked about the state of the world, COVID-19, and more. I also thanked her for the hopeful messages she has sent during these difficult times, and I wished her the very best this Victoria Day."

The royal family also Tweeted about the phone call, sharing a snap of the Queen meeting Trudeau in 2015, the year he became Prime Minister of Canada.

Victoria Day is usually widely celebrated in Canada, however the pandemic forced most of the events marking the occasion to be cancelled.

Meanwhile, social media users from outside Canada were confused by the holiday, many mistakenly assuming it was yet another celebration of our current Queen's birthday.

Her Majesty's 'real' birthday is on April 21, however she celebrates the occasion in June, to coincide with the English summer. Unfortunately, celebrations have been cancelled this year.

This isn't the Queen's first phone call to a major world leader while in isolation; she's also called up New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the last two months.

Since going into lockdown at Windsor Castle in a bid to protect herself form the virus, Her Majesty, along with other isolated royals, has found ways to carry out her royal duties from afar.

Phone calls, video chats and social media messages have replaced traditional royal meetings and investitures, with the Queen even promoting the first ever virtual Chelsea Flower Show this year.

Who says you can't teach an old royal new tricks?