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The Queen has praised people across the UK and Commonwealth for having “risen magnificently to the challenges of the year”.
“My family and I have been inspired by stories of people volunteering in their communities, helping those in need,” she said in her annual Christmas speech. “I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit.”
Although the monarch did not specifically mention the coronavirus pandemic, the 10-minute address was heavy with allusions to the health crisis.
Special praise in particular was offered to young people, frontline health workers and scientists. “We owe them,” she said, “a debt of gratitude.”
The 3pm address – prerecorded at Windsor Castle on Christmas Eve – was among the most sombre of her 68-year-reign but it was also filled with the promise that things would get better.
“Every year we herald the coming of Christmas by turning on the lights,” she started. “And light does more than create a festive mood – light brings hope.
“For Christians, Jesus is the light of the world, but we can’t celebrate his birth today in quite the usual way. People of all faiths have been unable to gather as they would wish for their festivals, such as Passover, Easter, Eid and Vaisakhi. But we need life to go on.
“Last month, fireworks lit up the sky around Windsor, as Hindus, Sikhs and Jains celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, providing joyous moments of hope and unity – despite social distancing.
“Remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has, in many ways, brought us closer.”
She continued: “This year, we celebrated International Nurses’ Day, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. As with other nursing pioneers, like Mary Seacole, Florence Nightingale shone a lamp of hope across the world.
“Today, our frontline services still shine that lamp for us – supported by the amazing achievements of modern science – and we owe them a debt of gratitude.
“We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that – even on the darkest nights – there is hope in the new dawn.
“Good Samaritans have emerged across society, showing care and respect for all, regardless of gender, race or background, reminding us that each one of us is special and equal in the eyes of God.”
The Queen, who, in common with millions of her subjects, is spending Christmas without her extended family, also acknowledged that the festive period would be an especially difficult one for many.
“This time of year will be tinged with sadness: some mourning the loss of those dear to them, and others missing friends and family members distanced for safety, when all they’d really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand,” she said. “If you are among them, you are not alone, and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers.”
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