British Royalty
Christmas address by the Queen: optimism despite sadness
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II during the taping of her annual Christmas TV program in the White Drawing Room of Windsor Castle. Photo: Victoria Jones / PA Wire / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
It’s the first Christmas for Elizabeth II since her husband’s death. The Queen is positive about the future. She is proud of her descendants’ commitment to the environment – at least some of them.
“I wish you all a very happy Christmas”: The British Queen Elizabeth II (95) was optimistic as usual at her Christmas address this year – and gave deep insights into her soul.
The focus of the speech was the memory of her deceased husband, Prince Philip. At the same time, it cemented its role as a moral compass for the British on the big issues of pandemic and climate change.
“Although it is a time of great joy and happiness for many, Christmas can be difficult for those who have lost loved ones,” said the Queen in the address broadcast on Christmas Day, adding: “This year especially, I understand why . “
Memory of Prince Philip
The Prince Consort died in April at the age of 99. In the months that followed, she drew great consolation from the warmth and affection of many appreciations for the life and work of “my beloved Philips”, said the Queen during her address in the festively decorated White Drawing Room of Windsor Castle. Next to her on a table was a photo that showed the two of them at their diamond wedding in 2007. The queen, in a bright red dress, had put on the same brooch for her Christmas address as she had back then – she was already wearing it on her honeymoon in 1947.
His sense of duty, his intellectual curiosity and ability to find fun in any situation were all indomitable, the Queen said of her husband. The flash of this “mischievous and interested” spark was “as bright to the end as when I saw it for the first time.”
Palast on Twitter
Philip would like his family to enjoy Christmas, said the monarch. But due to the pandemic, the celebrations cannot be carried out as usual this year either. Small things and rituals like decorating Christmas trees are all the more important.
The Queen, who had to struggle with health problems herself in the past few months, had cut her Christmas plans drastically in view of the drastic increase in infections with the Omicron variant in Great Britain. That, although the government had decided against mandatory restrictions for the festive season.
The throne anniversary is coming up
For the coming year, however, she is optimistic: in six weeks, she wants to celebrate the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. “I hope that there will be an opportunity for people everywhere to enjoy a sense of community (…),” said the monarch.
Above all, the Queen was proud that Philip had been committed to environmental protection for a long time. A tradition that is continued by her son Prince Charles (73) and grandson Prince William (39). She also praised the role of their partners Duchess Camilla (74) and Duchess Kate (39).
On the other hand, Prince Harry (37) and Duchess Meghan (40), who had renounced the royal family, were not mentioned. After all: The Queen indirectly alluded to the couple’s daughter, Lilibet, who was born in June, when she referred to the birth of several royal babies in the coming year.
Celebration in a small group
Also excluded from the speech was Prince Andrew (61), who has largely withdrawn from the public because of his involvement in the abuse scandal involving the deceased US multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein. A civil case is currently pending against him in the United States, in which an Epstein victim accuses him of molesting her as a minor. Andrew denies that.
According to the palace, the Queen celebrated Christmas Day in a small circle with her sons Charles and Edward (57) and her cousin Prince Richard and their partners. The news of an armed intruder on the grounds of the castle caused a brief commotion, but the police were able to arrest him within a very short time. At first nothing was known about the background.