Nothing quite says Christmas for Britain like the queen’s annual broadcast on Dec. 25. This year, Queen Elizabeth delivered a message on peace, love and understanding. Buckingham Palace released a few teasers for Queen Elizabeth II’s pre-taped holiday speech to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth before it was broadcasted Christmas Day. The queen has been delivering an address since 1952.
Her majesty reflected on the importance of treating others with consideration, the palace announced.
“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,” the queen said.
Sitting in front of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the White Drawing Room, the 92-year-old monarch dressed in her holiday finery, wearing an Angela Kelly ivory silk cocktail dress with a triple strand of pearls around her neck. The queen also donned a gold, ruby and diamond Scarab brooch that was given to her by Prince Philip in 1966.
While most applauded the holiday message, many were distracted by the Queen’s lavish gold piano.
“The Queen will urge Britain to overcome ‘deeply held differences’ as she sits near a golden piano that would feed and take the homeless off the streets for a year, a carriage clock that would fund a nurse for a year, all while Joe Public stumps up £360 million to fix her castles,” one user posted on Twitter.
Many critics in the UK were quick to say that the lavish setting makes the queen seem out of touch.
By: Maytinee Kramer