At 93-years-old, the Queen certainly isn’t slowing down and this year’s Christmas message was testament to that.
But in this year’s broadcast, the monarch highlighted how 2019 had been a “bumpy” year not only for the United Kingdom, but by her family also.
2019 has certainly been a “bumpy” year for the Queen.
(Image: Press Association)Sitting in the stunning Green Drawing Room, the Queen, dressed in a royal blue cashmere ensemble accessorised with a brooch gifted to Queen Victoria by her husband Prince Albert, spoke to the camera of her “bumpy” year.
While Brexit and the general election dominated the local news, there were a few scandals exposed from the Queen’s personal life too.
Not only did her son Prince Andrew step back from royal duties following a disastrous Newsnight interview about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and her husband Prince Philip find himself at the centre of a literal car crash, but the younger royals caused some drama as well.
Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan spoke out about their struggle with royal life in a tell-all documentary and the Duke of Sussex even highlighted that he and his brother Prince William had butted heads in recent months.
WATCH BELOW: Prince Harry addresses his rift with Prince William. Post continues after video…
“Small steps taken in faith and in hope can overcome long-held differences and deep-seated divisions to bring harmony and understanding,” she said.
“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.”
It wasn’t all negative though, as the Queen remarked on the monumental 75th anniversary of D-Day that she attended commemorations for in June.
The Queen attended D-Day celebrations with world leaders including US President Donald Trump.
(Image: Getty Images)“For the 75th anniversary of that decisive battle, in a true spirit of reconciliation, those who had formerly been sworn enemies came together in friendly commemorations either side of the Channel, putting past differences behind them,” she remarked.
There was also a mention of her late father, King George VI, whose portrait from 1944 sat proudly beside her.
“I will remember the look on my father’s face. He knew, of course, the secret D-Day plans but could of course share that burden with no one.”
2019 also saw the birth of her eighth great-grandchild, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor, something she and Prince Philip were “delighted” by and her granddaughter Princess Beatrice’s engagement to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
This sweet photo of the Queen and Prince Philip meeting their great-grandson Archie Harrison was noticeably absent from her collection but was shown as an image still.
(Image: Chris Allerton/AP/SussexRoyal)Royal fans also noticed that the desk at which she was seated at included some sweet family photos from the year past.
In the selection, viewers could spot a photo of Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla to mark the 50th anniversary of the future King’s investiture as Prince of Wales and Wales Week 2019 plus a sweet family photo of Prince William, Duchess Catherine and their three adorable children as well as the photo of George VI.
However, despite welcoming her eighth great-grandchild Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, there were no photos of the new addition to the royal family shown.
The Cambridge family Christmas card sat pride of place on the Queen’s desk.
(Image: Twitter)We also were treated to a rare photo from the Queen’s private collection of photos of her husband Prince Philip, who was admitted to hospital shortly before Christmas.
The last photo featured the monarch in 1970 with astronauts Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong and Buss Aldrin to mark 50 years since man first landed on the moon- a point she opened her speech with.
“As a child, I never imagined that one day a man would walk on the moon. Yet this year we marked the 50th anniversary of the famous Apollo 11 mission,” she said of the historical feat.
She even remarked how Neil Armstrong took not just a small step for man and a giant leap for mankind, but “indeed for womankind” too.
The Queen attending Christmas service this year.
(Image: Getty Images)The royal tradition that is the Christmas broadcast dates back to 1932 when the Queen’s grandfather King George V was on the throne and is filmed earlier on in the year from Buckingham Palace.
Last year, not only the Queen’s speech reference Christian values of the season including “peace on earth”, but also her family’s busy year.
Indeed it was a big one with the weddings of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, plus the births of Prince Louis and Lena Tindall as well as the news that Harry and Meghan would be expecting their first child in the new year.
“It’s been a busy year for my family, with two weddings and two babies, and another child expected soon. It helps to keep a grandmother well occupied,” the Queen remarked at the time.
Watch the speech in the player below.
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