The Queen on Christmas: "You are not alone"
- by Jennifer Ramirez
- in Culture&Arts
- — Dec 29, 2020
The world might be in disrepair amid the coronavirus pandemic, but not even that could stop Queen Elizabeth II from delivering her yearly Christmas Day remarks Friday.
The monarch, 94, and her husband, Prince Phillip, 98, are in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks, as the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine to those over 80 gets underway in the UK.
It's been a very unusual Christmas for the Queen and her husband, who have spent the day at Windsor Castle for the first time in more than 30 years.
The message, recorded 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. The monarch did not share any personal details, such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's exit from royal duties or the wedding of her granddaughter Princess Beatrice.
She said across Great Britain and the rest of the world, "people [have] risen magnificently to the challenges of the year".
"The teachings of Christ have served as my inner light, as has the sense of objective we can find in coming together to worship", she said. "Last month, fireworks lit up the sky around Windsor as HIndus, Sikhs, and Jains celebrated the Diwali, the festival of lights, providing joyous momments of hope and unity despite social distancing".
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"We continue to be motivated by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that even on the darkest night, there's hope at the new sunrise", she explained.
"Good Samaritans have emerged across society showing care and respect for all, regardless of gender, race or background, reminding us that each one of us is special and equal in the eyes of God", she said, referring to Britons' response to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 70,000 people in the United Kingdom.
"If this is your case, you are not alone", she assured.
"If you are among them, you are not alone", she continued.
It mirrored the Queen and Philip's final decision to have a silent Christmas as a few at Windsor and was symbolic of people today across the nation who have also picked to have pared back again loved ones gatherings.
The video comes on one day after the British royals announced the cancellation of another holiday tradition - Christmas Mass at St. Mary Magdalene Church.
