Amid uncertain epidemic backdrop, perhaps made worse by the emergence of a more contagious strain, the queen has attempted to deliver a positive message to the country.
She spoke for a long time about the human aspects that this crisis brought out. Queen Elizabeth II worked on Friday, during her Christmas address, to instill hope, present “even in the darkest nights”, to the British, hard hit by the pandemic.
“For many, this year is marked by sadness: some mourn the loss of a loved one, others miss friends and family, while for Christmas they would like a simple hug or pressure of the hand, notes the sovereign. 94 years old. If this is your case, you are not alone ”.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has claimed an estimated 70,000 lives in the UK, one of the worst tolls in Europe.
The recent worsening, linked by the authorities to a new more contagious strain, has led the government to cancel in extremis the authorization given to families to meet for Christmas in many regions.
:” Life must continue “
The Queen herself has given up on visiting her residence in Sandringham, Norfolk (eastern England), where she has spent Christmas with her children and other royals for over 30 years.
She stayed at Windsor Castle near London with her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip.
“We cannot celebrate the birth (of Christ) as usual […] but life must go on,” says Elizabeth II.
She notably cites the example of those who volunteered to help the most vulnerable, caregivers and “Good Samaritans who have emerged in society”.
She spoke for a long time about the human aspects that this crisis brought out.
Queen Elizabeth II worked on Friday, during her Christmas address, to instill hope, present “even in the darkest nights”, to the British, hard hit by the pandemic.
“For many, this year is marked by sadness: some mourn the loss of a loved one, others miss friends and family, while for Christmas they would like a simple hug or pressure of the hand, notes the sovereign.
94 years old. If this is your case, you are not alone ”.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has claimed an estimated 70,000 lives in the UK, one of the worst tolls in Europe.
The recent worsening, linked by the authorities to a new more contagious strain, has led the government to cancel in extremis the authorization given to families to meet for Christmas in many regions.
” Life must continue “
The Queen herself has given up on visiting her residence in Sandringham, Norfolk (eastern England), where she has spent Christmas with her children and other royals for over 30 years.
She stayed at Windsor Castle near London with her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip.
“We cannot celebrate the birth (of Christ) as usual […] but life must go on,” says Elizabeth II.
She notably cites the example of those who volunteered to help the most vulnerable, caregivers and “Good Samaritans who have emerged in society”.
“We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and find comfort in the fact that even on the darkest nights there is hope,” she observes.
In the UK, as everywhere in the world, the peoples have responded in a magnificent way to the challenges of the year, and I am proud and moved by this silent and indomitable spirit ”.
:Two exceptional speeches
During the spring containment, when the government’s handling of the crisis was criticized and Prime Minister Boris Johnson himself was infected with Covid-19 and hospitalized, the queen had spoken to the British twice, which ‘she has done only exceptionally out of her Christmas addresses during her 69-year reign.
His son Charles, the heir to the throne, 72, spent Christmas with his wife Camilla in Scotland.
Apart from the pandemic, the year has been eventful for the British royal family, shaken by the withdrawal of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who left for California, and the bonds of friendship between Prince Andrew, the queen’s second son , and the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, involved in a scandal of trafficking in minors.