Queen to Deliver ‘Particularly Personal’ Tribute to Prince Philip in Christmas Day Message

Queen Elizabeth II will deliver her 69th Christmas address to the United Kingdom on 25 December, aired on Christmas Day, and typically lasing around 10 minutes.

Queen Elizabeth II will pay tribute to Prince Philip – her late husband of 73 years - in a pre-recorded “particularly personal” Christmas Day message, according to The Telegraph. The Duke of Edinburgh died in April aged 99.

The traditional address to the nation and the Commonwealth, where the 95-year-old monarch reflects on the passing year, is to be screened at 15:00 GMT on Saturday .

The broadcast was recorded last week, according to the BBC, before a decision had been taken by Buckingham Palace that the Queen should stay in Windsor Castle and not travel to Sandringham, as is traditional.

In this 1 September 1972 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip pose at Balmoral, Scotland, to celebrate their Silver Wedding anniversary. Prince Philip, the irascible and tough-minded husband of Queen Elizabeth II who spent more than seven decades supporting his wife in a role that both defined and constricted his life, has died, Buckingham Palace said Friday, 9 April 2021.

© AP Photo

Typically, the Queen and her family walk from the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk to a local church on Christmas morning, however, concerns about the pandemic and soaring COVID-19 cases across the nation wrought changes to the routine. It was added that family members will be visiting Windsor throughout the festive period, with precautions duly taken.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will be joining the Queen on Christmas day, according to a spokeswoman cited by The Telegraph.

Prince William and Kate will be spending Christmas in Norfolk, a spokeswoman confirmed, along with some members of the Middleton family.

This is the second year that Queen Elizabeth II has decided to stay in Windsor for Christmas, as last year pandemic concerns prompted a similar move, with the monarch and her now-late husband, Prince Philip, spending Christmas Day without the rest of the family.

No Christmas day public appearances are expected from the Queen, who is in "good form", according to cited Buckingham Palace aides.

It's very sweet that the Queen's Christmas message includes a picture of her with Prince Phillip, when they were both still alive. pic.twitter.com/muwn8y8GGq

— john (@0bungler) December 24, 2021

Timed to the broadcast, the Palace has issued a photograph of the Queen wearing a wool dress in “Christmas red”, sitting at her desk in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. She also wears a sapphire chrysanthemum brooch - the same one that is seen in a framed photograph of the Queen and Prince Philip taken during their diamond wedding anniversary in 2007. The brooch had been worn by the monarch on her honeymoon in 1947.

Queen Elizabeth II has not been seen in public since early October following a bout of ill-health. She was forced to cancel a visit to Northern Ireland and missed the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

It has also been announced by Buckingham Palace that a service of thanksgiving for the life of the Duke of Edinburgh will take place at Westminster Abbey next Spring. According to cited sources, they “fully expected” Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to be invited to the service to possibly “break the ice” with the rest of the Royal Family.

The estranged couple had departed the UK and royal life officially on 31 March 2020 and dropped “truth bombs” in a series of revealing interviews throughout this year.

Particularly stinging accusations against the Royal Family had been made in March in their interview with Oprah Winfrey, as Meghan Markle dished on her near “suicidal” state during her first pregnancy.

The couple also claimed that one unnamed senior royal had “concerns” about skin colour of their son Archie who was about to be born at that time.

After the tell all sit-down, the Queen made clear that “recollections may vary” on some of the couple’s claims.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex release a family photo including first photo of baby Lilibet pic.twitter.com/zDkckZlLP5

— Leah Boleto (@LeahBoleto) December 23, 2021

This comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have issued the first photograph of their daughter Lilibet on their festive Christmas card.

The image shows Meghan Markle lifting Lilibet, born in June, in the air as she sits alongside Prince Harry, who is holding their two-year-old son Archie on his knee.

The image was taken at their home in Santa Barbara, California. This is the first time that Lilibet has been seen in a publicly released image.The card was sent by email through the Archewell charity co-founded by the duke and duchess in 2020.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie, has not seen his great-grandmother since he was a baby, while Lilibet has not met the monarch or the rest of the royal family yet.