Queen Elizabeth delivers her most personal Christmas speech ever as she mourns Prince Philip

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As Queen Elizabeth reaches the end of a momentous and bittersweet year, her annual Christmas address has struck a deeply personal tone.

The broadcast of the speech, filmed in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle earlier this month, began with an extract from a speech the Queen gave to Prince Philip on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary in 1997.

“Although it is a time of great joy and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This year I particularly understand why,” she said in her speech on Saturday, eight months after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh at the age of 99.

“But for me, the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work – from across the country, the Commonwealth and the world – in the months since my beloved Philip died has been a great comfort,” she continued. “His sense of service, his intellectual curiosity and his ability to make fun of any situation – all of these were indomitable. That mischievous, quizzical twinkle was as bright at the end as it had been when I first saw him.

“But of course life is made up of final goodbyes as well as first encounters. And as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy Christmas.”

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The Queen, who cancelled the royal family's traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham this year due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, acknowledged that the family “cannot celebrate in the way they might have wished”.

Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in January 2020.

“We felt his presence as we, like millions around the world, prepared for Christmas. Even though Covid again means we can't celebrate quite as we might have liked, we can still enjoy the many joyful traditions,” she said. “Whether it's singing Christmas carols (as long as the tune is familiar), decorating the tree, giving and receiving gifts, or watching a favorite film whose ending we already know, it's no surprise that families so often cherish their Christmas rituals.

“We see our own children and their families adopting the roles, traditions and values ​​that mean so much to us as these are passed down from one generation to the next and sometimes adapted to the changing times. I see this in my own family and it is a source of great happiness.”

The Queen also mentioned in her speech the birth of four new great-grandchildren this year: Princess Eugenie's son August, who was born in February; Zara Tindall's son Lucas, who was born in March; Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's daughter Lili, who was born in June; and Princess Beatrice's daughter Sienna, who was born in September.

“And for me and my family, even though we will miss a familiar laugh or two this year, it will be a joyous Christmas as we have the chance to reminisce and see the wonder of the holiday season anew, through the eyes of our young children. We were delighted to welcome four more of them this year,” she said.

“They teach us all – just like the Christmas story – that with the birth of a child begins a new morning with endless potential.”

Hulton Archive/Getty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on their wedding day

The Queen continued to pay tribute to Philip's legacy, which includes the Duke of Edinburgh Award and his environmental work, and said his causes would continue to be supported by Prince Charles and Prince William.

“I am immensely proud that his pioneering work has been taken up and recognised by our eldest sons Charles and William – with admirable support from Camilla and Catherine – most recently at the COP Climate Summit in Glasgow,” the Queen said.

She also mentioned her upcoming jubilee year, in which she will celebrate a record-breaking 70 years on the throne.

“And in February, just six weeks from now, my platinum jubilee year begins. I hope it will be an opportunity for people all over the world to experience a sense of togetherness; a chance to give thanks for the enormous changes of the last seventy years – social, scientific and cultural – while looking to the future with confidence,” she said.

She concluded her speech with the words: “I wish you all a Merry Christmas.”

The Queen also paid tribute to her late husband by placing a single framed photograph on her desk from 2007, when the couple celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary at Broadlands Country House in Hampshire.

Current Press Agency/Getty

And on her Christmas-red embossed wool shift dress by Angela Kelly, she pinned the sapphire chrysanthemum brooch that she wore at a honeymoon photocall at Broadlands in 1947 and again 60 years later when the couple celebrated their 60th anniversary at the same venue.

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Behind the Queen, a Christmas tree was decorated “with over 100 white and gold stars specially made by the children and staff of The Royal School, Windsor,” a palace press release said. “After recording the Queen's Christmas message, the stars were returned to the school where they hung on the pupils' Christmas trees until the end of the school year and were then taken home as gifts for their parents and carers.”