Queen Elizabeth II's traditional Christmas message will be aired on 25 December. It was produced and recorded by the BBC One, and the channel just shared some of the most interesting highlights of her highly anticipated address. In particular, the British monarch is believed to have extensively focused on the topic of reconciliation and “long-held differences” in her annual message, as well as pointing out that the road to harmony had been “quite bumpy” this year.
“…. small steps taken in faith and in hope can overcome long-held differences and deep-seated divisions to bring harmony and understanding”, the Queen said.
The Queen’s Christmas message, which will be broadcast on Christmas Day, was filmed in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. pic.twitter.com/X1HNmxZ6Qc
— Love the Cambridges (@CambridgeAwe) December 24, 2019
“The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference”, Elizabeth II concluded.
The broadcast will feature the Queen in a royal blue dress sitting in the green drawing room in Windsor Castle surrounded by photographs of her beloved family members, including black-and-white images of the Queen's father, King George VI; her son Prince Charles and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall, the Queen’s husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburg, as well as a family picture of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. A photo of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as their son Archie, was visibly absent from the set.
What’s So ‘Bumpy’?
The public immediately wondered what the Queen could have possibly implied by her reference to the unevenness of this year, and whether it could have been related to the long-lasting Brexit saga to which she became a party to after Boris Johnson submitted her a controversial request to approve Parliament’s suspension in August - or was something more personal. The recent results of the general election saw the Conservative party winning a clear majority of 365 seats - its biggest electoral win since Margaret Thatcher’s time.
The royal family has indeed been under intense scrutiny this year, with the Duke of Edinburgh’s hospital treatment, Prince Harry's and Meghan Markle's alleged disaccord with the royal family, and a controversy linking convicted paedophile Epstein to the Queen’s second son Prince Andrew.
Prince Philip, who retired from official duties in 2017, is spending his fourth night in hospital, allegedly due to “precautionary measures” and it is unclear so far, whether he will be back home for Christmas. He was also involved in a car crash earlier this year, which required hospital treatment for two women in the other car involved in the incident.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have recently uncovered their cute Christmas greeting featuring a photograph of Harry and Meghan with their seven-month-old son Archie crawling towards the camera, have been reportedly struggling to keep up with the intense attention from the British media, with some suggesting that they won’t even spend Christmas at the Queen’s house in Sandringham this year. The reports, as well as a recent ITV documentary featuring Meghan Markle admitting her “struggles” in Great Britain and Prince Harry revealing his “different paths” with his brother Prince William, have allegedly caused heavy concerns among the royals.
Just sharing the sweetest Christmas Card from our President and Vice-President, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Very Merry Christmas, everyone! pic.twitter.com/McOcHALoGl
— The Queen's Commonwealth Trust (@queenscomtrust) December 23, 2019
However, the most intense blow to the royal family has been potentially caused by the Queen’s second son and third child Prince Andrew who has been under severe fire this year, due to his role in the scandal involving convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in his prison cell this summer, sparking a host of conspiracy theories. The Duke of York’s recent explosive interview to the BBC where he defended his friendship with the paedophile, as well as made some controversial claims in relation to his acquaintance with Epstein’s alleged victim Virginia Roberts-Giuffre, who maintains that she had sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions when she was 17 years old, raised many questions among the British public and caused his subsequent departure from his royal duties.
It may have been a bumpy year for Andrew. Pizza Express Woking has reported a bumper last 3 months. It’s gone from being somewhere people popped in to into a huge profit busting paparazzi centre. Meanwhile, Corbyn is having his bumps felt while Abbott and Lammy nap.
— Dave (@GSDUK) December 24, 2019
more like a bumpy ride for the royals (Prince randy Andy especially)
— jonathan edge 🎄🎅🏻🎄 (@irishedge9) December 24, 2019
I think she meant a bumpy year for her Son Jimmy sorry Andrew
— Aidan 🏴🇸🇴 (@Aidan63499469) December 24, 2019
In the meantime, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Christmas message is believed to focus on the plights of Christians around the world, who are allegedly “facing persecution”, the Telegraph revealed.
The Queen’s Christmas message will be broadcasted on BBC One at 15:00 GMT on 25 December.
