'Human beings have a huge propensity for good, but can fall victim to tribalism':
The Queen urges unity in Christmas speech - as she jokes of 'a busy year with two babies, two weddings and a child on the way'.
The Queen has used her Christmas message to urge a nation divided by Brexit to reconcile,
but also added a personal touch by admitting it has been a 'busy year' for her and her family.
Sitting at her desk in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace,
the Queen reflected on a year which has seen two of her grandchildren - Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie;
get married, and two others - Prince William and Zara Tindall - welcome new babies.
Prince Harry is also expecting his first child with Meghan Markle next Spring,
and the Queen joked that her role as a grandmother and great-grandmother kept her 'well occupied' throughout 2018.
As head of state, the Queen remains publicly neutral when it comes to political matters and does not express her views on issues.
But the 92-year-old Monarch appeared to strongly allude to the tense and bitter political atmosphere
that surrounds contentious issues such as Brexit, by urging that 'even with the most deeply held differences,
treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step towards greater understanding'.
Speaking about the birth of Jesus and the Christmas story, she said:
'I believe his message of peace on Earth and goodwill to all is never out of date.
It can be heeded by everyone; it's needed as much as ever'.
She also highlighted the darker side of life, how religious faith,
which can lead people to do good in the service of others, can also bitterly divide them.
She said: 'Some cultures believe a long life brings wisdom. I'd like to think so.
'Perhaps part of that wisdom is to recognise some of life's baffling paradoxes,
such as the way human beings have a huge propensity for good, and yet a capacity for evil.
'Even the power of faith, which frequently inspires great generosity and self-sacrifice, can fall victim to tribalism'.
With a Christmas tree behind her and plenty of family photos visible,
she also described the importance of having loved ones around her.
Now aged 92, the Queen's reign as monarch has lasted 66 years
and she has been married to the Duke of Edinburgh for more than seven decades.
'Through the many changes I have seen over the years, faith,
family and friendship have been not only a constant for me but a source of personal comfort and reassurance,' she said.
A 1949 photograph showing the Queen and Prince Philip with a six-month-old Prince Charles stands prominently on her desk,
a reminder that the Prince of Wales celebrated his 70th birthday last month.
But the Monarch also offered words of comfort for those missing relatives or friends:
'At Christmas, we become keenly aware of loved ones who have died, whatever the circumstances.
'But, of course, we would not grieve if we did not love'.
The Queen took the opportunity to reflect on George VI in his role not only as her father
but in the early years of the Commonwealth and his service in the Royal Navy during the First World War.
And she thanked current members of the armed forces, many of whom will be deployed overseas at Christmas, for their efforts.
After footage was shown of a 'thrilling' RAF fly-past, celebrating the air force's centenary by forming the number '100',
the Queen aid: 'We owe them and all our armed services our deepest gratitude'.
She also acknowledged the sacrifices of the thousands of seamen
who died fighting in the First World War Battle of Jutland in 1916 during which her father served as a midshipman.
She said: 'The British fleet lost 14 ships and 6,000 men in that engagement.
My father wrote in a letter: 'How and why we were not hit beats me'. Like others, he lost friends in the war'.
Footage of Harry and Meghan's glittering wedding was featured in the broadcast alongside Eugenie and Jack's nuptials,
and also the moments when the couples kissed on the steps of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The duke and duchess's carriage ride was also screened.
The first of the two royal babies to arrive this year was Louis, and there was a clip of his proud parents, William and Kate,
presenting him to the world outside the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, where he was born on April 23.
And in June, Zara and husband Mike Tindall, a former England rugby player, welcomed their second child - a daughter called Lena.
'We have had other celebrations too, including the 70th birthday of the Prince of Wales,'
said the Queen as the camera panned to a framed picture on her desk,
an official image released to mark Charles's milestone and featuring his wife,
the Duchess of Cornwall, along with the Cambridges and their children, and the Sussexes.
They included William and Kate's Christmas card image featuring themselves and their children,
a picture from Eugenie's wedding showing the bride and groom surrounded by their bridesmaids and pageboys,
a black and white image from Harry and Meghan's big day, and a picture of George VI.
The Queen hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April
and she noted that eight states attended the first such gathering in 1948 and were welcomed by her father.
She added that today the Commonwealth consists of 53 member countries with a combined population of 2.4 billion.
She said: 'Its strength lies in the bonds of affection it promotes, and a common desire to live in a better, more peaceful world.
The broadcast was recorded on December 12 and produced this year by Sky News.
The Queen concluded her broadcast by wishing everyone a 'very happy Christmas'.
With Parliament fundamentally divided over the way forward with Brexit
and military conflicts still raging in parts of the world, the monarch's words are likely to resonate with many.
The broadcast ended as it had begun, with singing from the choir of King's College,
Cambridge, famous, as the Queen said, for its Nine Lessons and Carols.
They opened the festive broadcast by singing the National Anthem and ended with the carol Once In Royal David's City.
The Queen wore a silk and lace cocktail dress by Angela Kelly, and a gold,
ruby and diamond brooch - a present from her husband Prince Philip in 1966.
An eye-catching gilded piano, made for Queen Victoria in 1856, stood behind the Queen's desk.
First among royals: ROBERT HARDMAN on how the Queen showed she is still the boss as the younger generation steps up.
The younger generations may continue to draw more and more of the limelight.
We may gently sense a passing of the baton to heirs and successors;
be it at the Cenotaph or at Palace investitures or when it comes to buttering up world leaders.
Yet there was no question of who remains firmly at the helm of the ship of state yesterday
as the Queen led the Royal Family in prayer at St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham.
There was no Prince Philip at her side on Christmas morning for only the third time in 71 years of marriage
(the 97-year-old Duke was said to be in good spirits but erring on the side of caution on a chilly Norfolk day).
Yet the Queen looked anything but downcast as the rest of the family bobbed and bowed and followed behind her.
All eyes, understandably, were on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, spending their first Christmas as a married couple.
The beaming duchess looked delighted to be there, managing a deep curtsy to the Queen and chatting animatedly with her sister-in-law,
the Duchess of Cambridge, as they walked to and from the big house (with zero sign of any rift in that quarter).
Newly-wed Princess Eugenie, in festive red, arrived with husband Jack Brooksbank, the latest addition to the ranks of the royal in-laws.
Her sister, Princess Beatrice, walked with Autumn Phillips, wife of the Queen's eldest grandson, Peter.
Three hours later, the Queen was administering a badly needed dose of equanimity to a fractious nation in her Christmas broadcast.
Here was the human embodiment of 'Keep Calm and Carry On' doing just that.
Seeking to apply some perspective to our fetid political atmosphere, she focused on the higher, nobler theme of sacrifice.
It was striking that the first member of the family whom she singled out in her address should be her father.
The Queen quoted the future George VI, writing home after the Battle of Jutland where he served as a young midshipman.
It was this year's centenaries of the Armistice and of the formation of the Royal Air Force which led yesterday's broadcast,
along with another centenary – the 100th anniversary of the Christmas carol service at King's College, Cambridge.
This has, of course, been a year of great family milestones for the Queen.
Were she writing one of those round-robin letters stuffed inside so many of our Christmas cards,
she could have filled up pages with the weddings, the births, the birthdays and all the other landmarks;
all of which have underlined the increasingly important role of the monarchy as the strongest glue which binds our cracked society.
Only someone as secure and self-assured as the Queen would have been quite as blase about,
say, Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle back in May.
Here was a global media event watched by billions, a glorious sun-kissed advertisement for the UK and for the House of Windsor.
It was perhaps the last occasion in 2018 when the entire country buried its quarrels for a day.
If this had been a politician's broadcast, it would have been right up at the top of the bill.
Yet it was reduced to a few frames in the Queen's annual round-up.
Ditto the arrival of Prince Louis or the 70th birthday of the Prince of Wales;
and there was just a nano-mention of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's impending arrival.
The Queen herself has never liked boasting, except when it comes to her Forces, her Church and her Commonwealth.
This year, she herself hosted the largest and most harmonious summit in the Commonwealth's history when the leaders of all 53 member nations;
comprising a third of the world's population – gathered at Buckingham Palace.
All the family rallied round to help the Head of the Commonwealth host her meeting.
Though she has never intervened in its internal workings before,
the Queen did voice her wish that the Prince of Wales should eventually succeed her as head (the position that is not a hereditary one).
The leaders duly agreed, without a single dissenting voice, to nominate him as her successor.
Few can recall the last time that this argumentative outfit was so united on an important issue.
In her tenth decade, the Queen has continued to guide her Prime Minister on a weekly basis,
to tour the nation and to ensure fellow heads of state are made to feel welcome.
In the past six months she has not only staged a full state visit for the king and queen of Holland and entertained the entire Diplomatic Corps to dinner;
personally shaking hands with almost 1,000 guests – but she has also charmed Donald Trump.
His visit to Windsor for tea (and coffee) went on for twice as long as both sides had allotted.
In other words, at a time when royal officials and commentators talk of 'Team Windsor' shouldering more of the chores;
with the Prince of Wales in the vanguard – the boss is still very much the boss.
Next year, Britain marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the 70th birthday of the Queen's beloved Commonwealth.
I think we can already guess some of the scenes in next year's Christmas broadcast. Just don't expect to hear the word 'Brexit'.
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