Queen strikes hopeful tone in first Christmas message since Philip?s death

The Queen looked back on a year marked by personal, as well as national, grief in her Christmas Day message - the first since the loss of her husband - yet strived to strike a more hopeful tone for the year to come.

As a second year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic drew towards its end, the 95-year-old monarch said she could understand the feelings of all those who have lost loved ones, having been bereaved herself in April. Nevertheless, she looked forward becoming the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee - 70 years on the throne - in 2022.

"Although it's a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This year, especially, I understand why," the Queen said in her annual televised address.

She wore the same sapphire chrysanthemum brooch as on her honeymoon in 1947, and displayed a framed picture of her and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on their 60th wedding anniversary.

Her Majesty told the nation that she had drawn great comfort from the "warmth and affection" shown in the tributes to the Duke of Edinburgh's life. "His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation were all irrepressible. That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him," she added.

She also spoke fondly of Princes Charles and William, and their families, for their shared focus on climate change.

But there was no reference - either on screen or by name during the nine-minute broadcast - to her middle son Prince Andrew or Harry and Meghan; the trio having recently stepped back from royal duties.