Names and faces
A bad cold kept Queen Elizabeth II from attending the traditional Christmas morning church service near her Sandringham estate in rural Norfolk, England, raising some concerns about her health. It’s extremely rare for Elizabeth, now 90, to miss the service, which is a cornerstone of the royal family’s Christmas celebrations and brings the monarch into contact with locals who gather outside for a glimpse of her. “The Queen continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery,” Buckingham Palace said. “Her Majesty will participate in the royal family Christmas celebrations during the day.” Those festivities included a gala lunch. The queen used her annual pre-recorded Christmas Day message to praise British Olympic and Paralympic athletes and others who inspired her. The traditional message of goodwill was televised throughout Britain and much of the Commonwealth. The broadcast included video of her 90th birthday celebrations and a gigantic street party attended by charity workers from across Britain. The soft-spoken queen praised ordinary people for pitching in to do good works. “To be inspirational, you don’t have to save lives or win medals. I often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things — volunteers, carers, community organizers and good neighbors. Unsung heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special,” she said.
For most people, a Christmas Eve phone call with the first lady of the United States is an unexpected surprise. But Austin was holding out for someone else. “I want to hear Santa talk,” said Austin, one of a handful of children who called the NORAD Tracks Santa program on Saturday and found Michelle Obama on the other end of the line. Santa couldn’t get to the phone, the first lady explained, “because he’s delivering all the gifts” — 3 billion as of late morning in Honolulu, where President Barack Obama and his family are on vacation. There was a bittersweet note this year as the first lady carried out her annual Christmas ritual for the final time, taking calls from children who wanted to know exactly how much progress Santa had made on his journey. It’ll be up to the next first lady, Melania Trump, to decide next year whether to continue the tradition. But Austin had another concern in mind: Would Santa know where to go? “I’m going to move to another house,” said Austin, joined by three other children in North Carolina. No matter, Michelle Obama replied. “He’s going to be able to find you no matter where you go,” she said, according to a transcript released by the White House. “That’s the special thing about Santa.”