Queen offers personal message of hope
Her Majesty the Queen has praised t he “i ndomitable spirit” of those who have risen to the challenges of the Covid- 19 crisis in her annual Christmas Day speech.
The Queen paid tribute to the “kindness of strangers” whose actions have inspired all and, sounding a positive note, said even the “darkest nights” have a promise of a “new dawn”.
The message, r ecorded before Boris Johnson effectively cancelled Christmas for millions, saw the Queen sympathise with those unable to see family and friends and who just wanted a “simple hug or a squeeze of the hand” as a festive present.
Sounding resolute, she told the nation “but we need life to go on”, after describing how major religious festivals for many faiths had been disrupted this year.
The personal message was written by the Queen, as it is every year, and her words are likely to have added poignancy given the upheaval many families will have experi
enced due to Covid- 19.
S p e a k i n g f r o m Wi n d - sor Castle, the Queen said: “Remarkably, a year t hat has necessarily kept people apart has, in many ways, brought us closer.”
The head of state delivered her message f rom a desk where the only family photo on show was a private portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh chosen by the Queen.
It reflected the Queen and Philip’s decision to have a quiet Christmas as a couple at Windsor and was symbolic of people across the country who have also chosen to have pared back family gatherings.