Elizabeth II spreads her most personal message on the first Christmas without her husband Felipe

Elizabeth II has chosen not to travel to her country residence at Sandringham, in the north of England, as is her custom, and has remained in Windsor.

The traditional Christmas message of Isabel II This year was one of the most personal addresses of his long reign. In his first parties without him Duke of Edinburgh, Philip, died in April, she remembered her husband and empathized with families who have lost a loved one.

At the age of 95, the British sovereign recorded several days ago at her residence in Windsor Castle the speech broadcast this afternoon by the main channels in the United Kingdom. Dressed in red, with a photograph of her and the duke on the table, He thanked the “warmth and affection” he has received in recent months.

“Although this is a time of great happiness and joy for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost someone they love. This year, especially, I understand why,” wielded the British head of state.

“Life, of course, is made up of both final games and first encounters,” he reflected.

At the same time, he expressed optimism for the future and He highlighted his desire to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee in February, which will mark his 70 years on the throne.

Christmas affected by omicron

The usual celebrations of the British royal family have been reduced this year due to the expansion of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Elizabeth II has decided not to travel to her country residence at Sandringham, in the north of England, as is her custom, and has remained in Windsor, about 25 miles west of London.

He also did not attend the traditional mass in the chapel of St. George of his castle this morning, which his first-born did attend, Prince Charles, and his wife Camila, who later shared the table with the queen.

Neither Prince William nor his brother Henry have been with the sovereign this year, who during the pandemic has greatly limited her social contacts and has spent long periods isolated in Windsor.

“Although the covid makes again that we cannot carry out the celebrations as we would have liked, we can still enjoy many happy traditions,” said the queen today, underlining that her family is a “great source of happiness” for her.

He also expressed his satisfaction at seeing “our own children and their families assume the roles, traditions and values ​​that mean so much to us, that are transmitted from generation to generation.”

Health problems

Christmas ends a particularly complex year for the monarch. In addition to the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, at the age of 99, Elizabeth II has suffered health problems that have forced her to rest since November on medical advice.

Although the nature of her ailments has not been revealed, the queen has canceled much of her public activity in recent weeks, including the inauguration of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow (Scotland), which was to be one of her main acts of 2021.

However, it has not completely suspended its activities. He has continued to hold hearings by video conference and last week personally received the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tareq al Said, in Windsor, among other engagements. (I)

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