LONDON (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth spoke of the loss of her husband Prince Philip on Saturday and recalled the “mischievous glint” in his eyes during a very personal Christmas address.
The Queen, 95, said that while Christmas was a happy time for many, it could be difficult for those who have lost loved ones, a grief she says she particularly understands this year, marked by the death of Prince Philip, age 99.
“Her sense of duty, her intellectual curiosity and her ability to derive pleasure from any situation was overwhelming,” she said in her traditional recorded speech, paying tribute to her “adored Philip”.
“That gleam of mischief and curiosity was as bright at the end as when I first laid eyes on him,” she said.
The Queen said she was convinced Philip would like his family to enjoy Christmas and be filled with joy, despite the absence of his “familiar laugh”.
She gave her speech sitting behind a desk with a framed photo of herself and Philip holding each other’s arms, smiling.
This image was taken in 2007, when the royal couple were having their diamond wedding anniversary.
During this address, the Queen wore the same sapphire chrysanthemum brooch that she wore on her honeymoon in 1947 and on the same portrait of the couple taken on the occasion of their diamond wedding.
Pictures of her and Philip at different stages of their
life appeared on the screen during his speech.
For the second year in a row, Elizabeth is spending Christmas at Windsor Castle, West London, breaking with a well-established tradition.
A palace source said the decision was made for health reasons, due to the rapid spread of the novel Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Close family members were due to visit him, including his year-old son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla. On the other hand, she should not make a public appearance.
Usually all Windsors gather for Christmas at one of their residences, the Sandringham Estate in the east of England. Their walk to a nearby church for a Christmas service is a ritual.
Due to the accelerating pandemic in Britain, the Queen last week canceled a pre-Christmas lunch with her family.
During her speech, the Queen also recalled her platinum jubilee, which will begin in February and mark her 70 years of reign.
Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history, having broken the record set by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria in 2015.
(Report Estelle Shirbon, French version Jean-Michel Blot)
by Estelle Shirbon