Queen Elizabeth II’s annual Christmas Day message to the Commonwealth was the most watched program on UK television, with 7.4 million people tuning in and millions more viewing online.
The broadcast, which was around 10 minutes long, saw the monarch mourning the death of her late husband before adding the story of Christ’s birth should bring hope to all for a “new dawn with endless potential.”
As Breitbart News reported, the Christmas address from the 95-year-old was the first since the death of her consort, Prince Philip, who passed away at the age of 99 in April of this year.
“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.
“But for me, in the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work – from around the country, the Commonwealth and the world. 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.”
The Queen sat behind a desk adorned with a solitary photograph of her and the duke in 2007 to mark their 60th wedding anniversary as she spoke to the nation from the White Drawing Room in Windsor Castle.
She also spoke fondly of her eldest son Charles and his wife Camilla, and also of William and Kate, for their climate activism. Just a tacit mention was made to Lilibet Diana, Harry and Meghan’s daughter, as one of four great-grandchildren born this year.
Strictly Come Dancing’s Christmas Special came next in the ratings, claiming the most viewers outside of the Queen’s annual message, the Daily Mail reports.