Queen Elizabeth Looks Back On 2008 On This ‘Somber’ Xmas
The Royal Family — including Queen Elizabeth II, Princes Charles, William, Harry and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall — were on hand to attend Xmas day services at Sandringham Church in the UK yesterday after Her Majesty delivered her annual Xmas Day address to the United Kingdom earlier in the day. Calling this Xmas a “somber” one, Queen Elizabeth talked at length about the year that was and the challenges to come in 2009. Here are a few pics of the Royals as they arrived for church services yesterday and a portion of her Xmas Day address delivered via radio, TV and Interweb:
Worries about the global economy and violence across the world have turned the celebration of Christmas into a more somber affair this year, Queen Elizabeth said on Thursday. Britain, like many other developed nations, is facing the risk of a prolonged recession. Unemployment is rising fast, household high street firms are collapsing and several big banks are only able to stay in business with government help. There has also been an increase in the number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan in recent weeks, just as troops in Iraq prepare to come home next year. “Christmas is a time for celebration, but this year it is a more somber occasion for many,” the Queen said. “People are touched by events which have their roots far across the world. Whether it is the global economy or violence in a distant land, the effects can be keenly felt at home.” But, in her annual Christmas broadcast which dates back to 1957 and is watched by millions across Britain and the Commonwealth, the 82-year-old said those with courage would work hard to survive and improve their lot. “When life seems hard the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future,” she said, standing by a piano adorned with pictures of her family. This year has been eventful for the royal family, with Prince Harry — third in line to the throne — fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan for 10 weeks, an inquest into the death of Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ 60th birthday. The Queen paid tribute to Britain’s armed forces but also singled out for praise her eldest son and heir, Charles, accompanied by previously unseen footage of the prince playing with his mother as a small child. “We feel great pride in seeing our family make their own unique contributions to society,” she said. “Through his charities, the Prince of Wales has worked to support young people and other causes for the benefit of the wider community.”
While it may not want to be the message that folks want to hear on an occasion like Xmas, I think it was prudent for the Queen to address the issues of the day in the manner in which she did. The prospects are gloomy for everyone in the world, none of us are untouched by the degrading state of the economy, and violence still threatens us at almost every turn. Queen Elizabeth has a way of delivering this sort of serious message with a resoluteness that instills confidence in people. After the jump, watch her Xmas Address in full for yourselves …
The Queen is a very spry lady and altho the news is a bit grim, she manages to deliver her message with grace and poise. Here’s hoping that next Xmas will be a less somber affair and that the Queen will be able to deliver a more hopeful and prosperous message.
Tags: Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George of Wales, Prince Henry 'Harry' Charles Albert David of Wales, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales, Queen Elizabeth Alexandra Mary II
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December 26th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Prince harry looks soo freaking hawt while prince william looks : /
December 26th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Trent, why haven’t you posted about Jen Aniston having the number 1 movie in the box office?
December 26th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
@ lyndyloo I thought those numbers won’t official yet
December 26th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
nope she definately beat brad’s movie
1 marley and me
2 benjamin button
3bestime stories
theres’s talk of marley and me benefitting from word of mouth too, apparently people have been seen leaving the cinema in tears and most of them say they’ll go back and see it will recommand it to friends.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20249135,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/6182401.html
http://www.examiner.com/x-1028-Pet-News-Examiner~y2008m12d26-Marley–Me-1-at-box-office-Christmas-Day
December 26th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
3 bedtime stories *
December 26th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
its gunna be a sad day for the world when the Queen dies. she seems like a fun/sweet lady
December 26th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Is it just me, or is her christmas message becoming shorter? I used to think they went on for ages!. Ah well, long may she reign :)
December 26th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Oh, please. Long live the queen my ass. The message of Christmas has nothing to do with the state of the economy or “violence in the world” (whatever the heck that means). It’s about a beacon of hope shining in the darkness- no matter how dark it is. It’s about the the true Prince who makes a sham of royal carpetbaggers like the queen and her ridiculous family.
December 27th, 2008 at 5:08 am
I think she always does very good Christmas Day speeches and come on, she’s now 82 and looks fantastic for her age!
You would’ve thought that with all the stress and family scandals in her life she would be more haggard looking! but no, she’s in good shape for an old lady. The Queen mother was 101 when she passed away, so looks like Charles still has a good few more years or longer to wait before he takes to the throne!
December 27th, 2008 at 7:59 am
haha… wills looks funny… thinning on top, thickening on bottom…
i think he’s making up for his balding patch by displaying his man-liness.
December 27th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Really liked her short but sweet message; I think she always delivers what the people need to hear, and she didn’t sweep over the fact that there are problems and the fact that it’s Jesus’ birthday (which seems to be forgotten in the holiday commercialism most of the time as evidently Christianity is not politically correct). We need to make some sacrifices and work for the common good. If you haven’t yet seen the movie about her with Helen Mirren, go see it.
December 27th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Will and Harry clearly have different fathers. No one talks about it though.
December 27th, 2008 at 10:44 am
@patrick — I kinda totally agree … Harry looks so much like Diana’s old red-haired riding instructor and Wills looks exactly like Charles
December 27th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Patrick … and Trent! Diana had red hair in her late teens. Her hair was colored blond. Harry takes after the Spencer’s. The Royal children are DNA tested at birth.
December 29th, 2008 at 7:03 am
Ha ha! I was just thinking the same thing about the boys having different fathers. It is becoming more and more obvious!