Queen Elizabeth has honored one of her most steadfast traditions: her annual “Queen’s Speech” on Christmas.
The deeply religious monarch, 93, shares words of reflection each year as she commemorates the holiday. The Queen recorded the speech in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle surrounded by personal family photos.
In this year’s speech, she addressed the 75th anniversary of D-Day, stating that after the battle, “in the true spirit of reconciliation, those who had formerly been sworn enemies came together in friendly commemorations . . . putting past differences behind them.”
Wearing a royal blue cashmere dress by her go-to dresser, Angela Kelly, she accessorized the look with the diamond-and-sapphire Prince Albert brooch, which was given by Albert to Queen Victoria in 1840 on the eve of their wedding. Speaking about the life of Jesus and the importance of reconciliation, she said, “how many small steps taken in faith and in hope can overcome long-held differences and deep-seated divisions to bring harmony and understanding.
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“The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy,” she noted, “but small steps can make a world of difference.”
Among the family photos visible during the speech: a portrait of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall commemorating the 50th anniversary of Charles’ investiture as Prince of Wales; a family portrait of Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis; a photo of Prince Philip from the Queen’s personal collection; and a vintage photo of the Queen with the Apollo 11 astronauts at Buckingham Palace in 1970.
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Not pictured is the Queen’s youngest great-grandchild, Archie, who was born in May to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Earlier this month on Instagram, the royal family shared footage of the Queen’s very first televised Christmas address in 1957.
View this post on Instagram 1957 saw The Queen’s first televised Christmas message, broadcast live from the Long Library at Sandringham, Norfolk. The Queen’s grandfather, King George V broadcast the first Christmas message in 1932. The text for King George’s speech was written by poet and writer Rudyard Kipling and included the words, “I speak now from my home and from my heart to you all.” . Follow #ARoyalChristmas throughout Decemberand watch the 1957 broadcast in full via the link in our bio
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Dec 8, 2019 at 9:10am PST
“I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct,” the young Queen says as she looks into the camera smiling, occasionally checking her notes on the desk in front of her.
Filmed at Sandringham in 1957, she continues: “It’s inevitable that I should seem a rather remote figure to many of you – a successor to the Kings and Queens of history. Someone whose face may be familiar in newspapers and films but who never really touches your personal lives. But now at least for a few minutes I welcome you to the peace of my own home.”
View this post on Instagram Royal Residences have been transformed for the festive season with the arrival of Christmas Trees!@royalcollectiontrust
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Dec 13, 2019 at 7:55am PST
Watching the Queen’s speech on Christmas Day is a holiday tradition shared in many homes around the world and one that has stood the test of time. In 2012, the Queen recorded her message in 3D for the first time, exactly 80 years after her grandfather King George V broadcast his first speech on the radio, beginning the royal tradition.
View this post on Instagram “I shall never forget the scene outside Buckingham Palace on Jubilee Day. The cheerful crowd was symbolic of the hundreds of thousands of people who greeted us wherever we went in this Jubilee Year – in twelve Commonwealth countries and thirty-six counties in the United Kingdom… God bless you and a very happy Christmas to you all.” . This quote is taken from the 1977 Christmas Broadcast. #ARoyalChristmas Swipe to see images from the 7th June 1977, Jubilee Day, when a special service of thanksgiving was held at St Paul's Cathedral. Planning for the Christmas Broadcast begins months in advance, when The Queen decides on the themes she wishes to address. The broadcast has been, and remains, the Monarch’s own personal message to the nation and Commonwealth. Her Majesty’s speech from 1977 can be found in full on our website, linked in our story! .A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Dec 15, 2019 at 9:33am PST
The monarch gave her first ever Christmas speech five years prior at age 26, just months after the death of her father and before her coronation. The video, which shows the 31-year-old monarch wearing a metallic evening dress and a pearl necklace, was filmed at the Long Library at Sandringham. Portraits of her young children Prince Charles and Princess Anne can be seen in the background.
After talking about the advances in technology and how important it is “to take advantage of the new life without losing the best of the old,” the monarch goes on to discuss the royal tours she and Prince Philip undertook that year and the huge welcome they received, ending with: “I hope that 1958 may bring you God’s blessing and all the things you long for. And so I wish you all, young and old, wherever you may be, all the fun and enjoyment and the peace of a very happy Christmas.”
from PEOPLE.com https://ift.tt/2sTuBrk
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