Gloves are a major accessory in the royal family, and even Princess Diana sometimes wore them during formal occasions, even if she refused to wear them in public.
The Queen of course wears gloves pretty much all the time when she is outdoors at official events, as it protects her hands from dirt and damage amongst other things. In fact, it's said she probably keeps a couple of spares with her just in case they get dirty.
What you might not have noticed is that the monarch often wears gloves inside Buckingham Palace, specifically for social engagements, such as state banquets.
Firstly, this is because they are a formal piece of eveningwear which goes well with a ballgown, and there are certain dressing rules that royal women follow, such as only wearing diamonds after 6pm.
Secondly, much like at her daily outings, the Queen is likely to have to shake a lot of hands, welcoming guests to the palace. Of course, this could mean picking up germs, and so gloves are a good barrier for this.
Of course it's hard to imagine anyone shaking hands during this time, however it's easy to see why no one this extra precaution would be taken at the time when these events were a regular occurrence.
We imagine they will be even more useful whenever these start again.
