Queen reflects on the wisdom of age
Monarch muses about ‘life’s baffling paradoxes’ in her Christmas address The Queen’s Christmas address was broadcast to 53 Commonwealth countries.
SANDRINGHAM, ENGLAND— The Queen wove personal reflections into the latest edition of her annual Christmas message, saying she hoped her long life brought a measure of wisdom and noting her grandchildren’s contributions to Britain’s Royal Family.
The 92-year-old queen, the world’s longest-reigning living monarch, also included the customary tribute to military personnel and wishes for world peace in the message, which was pre-recorded at Buckingham Palace and televised Tuesday.
“Some cultures believe a long life brings wisdom,” Elizabeth said in the recording. “I’d like to think so. Perhaps part of that wisdom is to recognize some of life’s baffling paradoxes, such as the way human beings have a huge propensity for good and yet a capacity for evil.”
On a lighter note, the Queen listed the House of Windsor’s 2018 milestones with the same unabashed pride of someone writing their yearly Christmas letter for friends and far-flung relatives.
“It’s been a busy year for my family, with two weddings and two babies, and another child expected soon. It helps to keep a grandmother well occupied,” the Queen said, not forgetting to mention her own first-born, Prince Charles. “We have had other celebrations too, including the 70th birthday of the Prince of Wales,” she said. The annual message was broadcast to many of the 53 Commonwealth countries. Elizabeth recalled that her father, King George VI, welcomed eight former British colonies at the first meeting of Commonwealth leaders in 1948.
“Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step toward greater understanding,” she said.
Earlier in the day, the Queen and her family received cheers from a Christmas crowd when they arrived for a church service in the English countryside. A chauffeured limousine delivered the Queen while her descendants and their spouses walked from a nearby estate of the monarch’s.
Prince Charles led the way, followed by his sons: Prince William and his wife, Catherine, and Prince Harry and his pregnant wife, Meghan. Harry and the former actress Meghan Markle married in May and are expecting their first child in the spring.
The Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, who is 97 and largely retired from public life, did not attend the service. Charles’s wife Camilla, who is recovering from the flu, also missed church. William and Catherine’s three children — Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 3, and 8-month-old Prince Louis — also stayed home.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says this year’s holidays are about spreading kindness and light to one another. In Trudeau’s Christmas message to Canadians, he encouraged families to spend time together and partake in holiday activities.