Her "mischievous" look, her "familiar laughter", her "pioneering" commitment to the environment ... Elizabeth II confided in her traditional Christmas speech, Saturday, December 25, that her late husband Philip "misses" her. “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, ”said the sovereign in this message, personal as rarely, recorded at Windsor Castle. She appeared there in a red dress, wearing a sapphire chrysanthemum brooch that she had sported for her honeymoon in 1947. On the desk behind which she was sitting sits a photograph of Philip and she looks at herself with a smile. , taken in 2007 at theoccasion of their diamond wedding (60 years of marriage). A cliché on which she also wears her brooch.
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"I miss him"
The 95-year-old monarch said she had "taken great comfort" from the many tributes she has received since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh in April, then aged 99.
Evoking fondly Prince Philip, to whom she had been married for 73 years, she cited "her sense of duty, her intellectual curiosity and her ability to have fun in any situation".
"The playful and questioning glow (of his eyes) was as brilliant at the end as when I first laid eyes on him," she added.
"Although I miss him, and miss my family, I know that he would like us to enjoy Christmas", also assured the queen, seated near a large sparkling tree, insisting on the "joy" of the celebrates “despite the familiar laughter that we miss”.
Parties disrupted by the Covid
2021 will have been a difficult one for the nonagenarian sovereign, who after losing her husband has had to give up most of his commitments.
Her doctors put her to rest after spending a night in the hospital in October for some check-ups.
These first end-of-year celebrations without Philip, whom she referred to as her "rock", are also overshadowed by the meteoric resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the United Kingdom.
After canceling the traditional lunch she gives before the holidays for about fifty members of her family, she gave up going to Sandringham to celebrate Christmas, preferring to stay at Windsor Castle, now her main residence.
In photos, the 70 years of marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
In photos, the 70 years of marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - photo 2 "Disappointed", Elizabeth II sends back her indiscreet lingerie designer - photo 1
In photos, the 70 years of marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - photo 3 "Disappointed", Elizabeth II sends her indiscreet lingerie designer - photo 2
In photos, the 70 years of marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - photo 4 "Disappointed", Elizabeth II sends her indiscreet lingerie designer - photo 3
In photos, the 70 years of marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip - photo 5 "Disappointed", Elizabeth II sends back her indiscreet lingerie designer - photo 4
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The scattered family
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla went to a mass in Windsor on Saturday morning before joining the Queen, whose absence has been presented by British media as a precautionary measure.
Her daughter Anne, on the other hand, has been forced into solitary confinement since her husband tested positive for the coronavirus.
Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton and their three children are spending Christmas in the East of England.
“Even though due to Covid we can't celebrate (Christmas) quite the way we would have liked, we can still enjoy many happy traditions” such as singing a Christmas carol or decorating a tree, suggested Elizabeth II in his speech.
Harry and Meghan passed over in silence
Evoking the transmission of traditions and values, the queen broached the subject of environmental protection. She welcomed the fact that Philip's “pioneering work” had been “taken up” by Princes Charles and William, involved in the COP26 climate conference in Scotland when she herself had had to cancel her visit. The sovereign, however, made no mention of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who distanced themselves from the royal family in 2020 and now live in California. However, she was delighted with the birth of four children in the royal family in 2021, including Lilibet, the couple's second child.
The queen finally spoke of the major events of 2022, including the Commonwealth Games next summer, and especially the celebrations of her platinum jubilee, marking the 70 years of her accession to the throne on February 6, 1952.
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