Just like every Christmas Eve, the Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II, spoke to her people in a televised broadcast and prayed for the victims of the terrible massacres that occurred in Britain this 2017. The monarch recalled when she spent time with the survivors of the bomb attack at a pop concert in Manchester and those of the Grenfell Tower fire. Also, she also paid tribute to her husband Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who retired from his regular royal duties this year.
The 91-year-old monarch congratulated the “powerful identities” of the two cities that suffered the terrible militant attacks: the capital of England, London, and one of the biggest cities in the northwest of the country, Manchester. According to her, they “shone through over the past 12 months in the face of appalling attacks”. These “appalling” events were then claimed to be from the terrorist group ISIS, which has also attacked other European countries and the US.
However, this message was also broadcasted in times of change and good news. For the first time, a Prince from the British Commonwealth decided to marry an American citizen, who’s no relation at all with the crown: Meghan Marklee. She also became the first unmarried partner who spends time with the Monarchy at Sandringham, in Norfolk, for Christmas, to later be publicly seen with the royal family. Both Harry and Meghan will be celebrating their marriage next summer.
Also, the Duke and Duchess Cambridge announced they’re pregnant from their third child, who’s expecting to be born in April.
‘Bravery and resilience’
The Queen thanked the survivors and talked about the “privilege” she had when she met them. Most of the victims at the Manchester Arena bombing were children, who were accompanied by their parents. Elizabeth II referred to them as an “example to us all, showing extraordinary bravery and resilience.”
This event led to 26 death, including the attacker, and took place while Ariana Grande was giving a concert. Days later, she inspired the idea of a new benefit concert, which the Queen recalled as a “powerful reclaiming of the ground, and of the city those young people call home.”
Footage of her and the Duke of Edinburgh meeting the firefighters and other emergency services were shown in the message, while the voice of the Queen asked the public who could forget the “sheer awfulness of the Grenfell Tower fire.” This attack left 71 deaths.
Those two were not the only attacks that took place in England. Five people died in London when terrorists attacked at Westminster Bridge, while other eight died at the Borough Market.
This is the 60th televised Christmas speech that the Queen gives since 1957. Footage from then was also shown, and images from the 31-year-old Elizabeth II giving her first speech appeared while she mentioned that the “presenter has ‘evolved’ somewhat, as has the technology she described” six decades ago.
She also mentioned her husband Prince Philips with a dry sense of humor. She joked about the long years they both have been married.
“I don’t know that anyone had invented the term ‘platinum’ for a 70th wedding anniversary when I was born. You weren’t expected to be around that long,” the Queen said. “But I know his support and unique sense of humor will remain as strong as ever, as we enjoy spending time this Christmas with our family and look forward to welcoming new members into it next year.”
Meghan Markle’s moment
Prince Harry’s fiancée Meghan Markle has had not enough time with the family, but it seems that she’s been quite good to them. The actress is best known for her role in the US legal drama Suits.
According to The Guardian, she successfully navigated “the walkabout” and the Buckingham Palace pre-Christmas royal lunch. However, she still needed to spend time with the Monarchy for her first time at the Queen’s 20,000-acre Norfolk estate.
She can now take that off her “to do” list.
Markle received several wishes and prayers from people who waited outside the gates of Sandringham to see her. Also, other people waited for her at the St Mary Magdalene church in the estate, where the royal family uses to go for their traditional Christmas Day.
She walked grabbing arms along Prince Harry from the Sandringham House to the church. Then, people saw an photographed her with the Duchess of Cambridge, her future sister-in-law.
The Prince Harry’s fiancée joined the royal family to see the televised Queen’s Christmas speech, as the tradition demands.
The last words that the Queen said in the speech were: “It is Jesus Christ’s generous love and example which has inspired me through good times and bad.”
Source: The Guardian