During her traditional Christmas address, Queen Elizabeth II confided that she “misses” her late husband, Prince Philip.
“Although it is a time of great happiness and merriment for many people, Christmas can be difficult for those who have lost loved ones. This year, I particularly understand why ”confided the queen who this year indulged in a much more personal message.
Each year, Elizabeth II surrounds herself with very symbolic and unsurprising photos, for her Christmas message this year, it is a photo of Prince Philip who came to decorate her office at Windsor Castle.
In this photograph taken in 2007, we can see the two spouses celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary (60 years of marriage). Dressed in a red dress, the Queen sports a sapphire chrysanthemum brooch, the same one she wore in 1947 on her honeymoon.
73 years of marriage
The 95-year-old monarch claims to have “taken great comfort” from the many tributes she has received since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh at the age of 99, on April 9.
Evoking fondly Philip, to whom she was married for 73 years, she cites “her sense of duty, her intellectual curiosity and her ability to have fun in any situation”. “The mischievous, questioning glow (of his eyes) was as brilliant at the end as when I first laid eyes on him,” she continues.
“Although I miss him, and my family misses, I know he would like us to enjoy Christmas”, adds the queen, seated near a large sparkling tree, insisting on the “joy” of Christmas “despite the familiar laughter that we miss. ”
A first Christmas without Philip
The year 2021 will have been difficult for the sovereign, who after the loss of her husband had to give up most of his commitments. Her doctors put her to rest after spending a night in hospital in October for unspecified reasons.
And those first year-end celebrations without Philip, whom she called a “rock”, are clouded by the meteoric resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the UK After canceling the traditional lunch she gives before the holidays for about fifty members of her family, she gave up going to celebrate Christmas in Sandringham, in the east of England, remaining at Windsor Castle near London, now her main residence.
His eldest son Charles and his wife Camilla spend Christmas by his side but not his daughter Anne, who has been isolating herself since her husband tested positive for the coronavirus. Prince William, Charles’s eldest son, his wife Kate and their three children spend Christmas in Eastern England
Despite this, Elizabeth II calls for hope: “Even though due to Covid we cannot celebrate (Christmas) quite as we would have liked, we can still enjoy many happy traditions.”
The Queen also mentioned the year 2022n which will be marked by several meetings, including the Commonwealth Games which will be held during the summer but also its platinum jubilee. Indeed, on February 6, Elizabeth II will celebrate the 70th year of her accession to the throne.
