From the CBC:
“Queen Elizabeth's Christmas
message encourages 'small steps' to bring peace, reconciliation”
Queen Elizabeth's annual
Christmas address invokes the anniversaries of the D-Day invasion and the moon
landing, as well as the birth of her eighth great-grandchild, to deliver a message
of peace and reconciliation. The 93-year-old monarch quoted astronaut Neil
Armstrong's famous words of having made "one small step for man, one giant
leap for mankind" when he stepped onto the moon during the Apollo 11
mission some 50 years ago. "It's a reminder for us all that giant leaps
often start with small steps," the Queen said. She did not make any direct
references to modern-day political issues, including the recent U.K. election
that saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party secure a resounding
victory, paving the way for Brexit. But she noted events this spring that
marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day, which saw former foes set aside their
differences and come together for "friendly commemorations. "Such
reconciliation seldom happens overnight. It takes patience and time to rebuild
trust, and progress often comes through small steps," she said. "By
willing to put past differences behind us and move forward together, we honour
the freedom and democracy once won for us at so great a cost." Wearing a
blue dress and surrounded by portraits of her family, the Queen noted the birth
this year of Archie, Prince Harry's first child, with Meghan, the Duchess of
Sussex, and her eighth great-grandchild. Turning to Christmas, she said the
story is, at its heart, about the birth of a child, an event that goes
"overlooked' in Bethlehem. 'I'm just over the moon,' Prince Harry says
after wife Meghan gives birth to boy "But in time, through his teaching
and by his example, Jesus Christ would show the world how small steps taken in
faith and in hope can overcome long-held differences and deep-seated divisions
to bring harmony and understanding," she said. "Many of us already try to follow in his
footsteps. The path, of course, is not always smooth and may at times this year
have felt quite bumpy. But small steps can make a world of difference." The
carol It Came Upon a Midnight Clear speaks of Christ coming into a
"divided world," she went on, but also carries the angels' timeless
message of "peace and goodwill. "It's a timely reminder of what
positive things can be achieved when people set aside past differences and come
together in the spirit of friendship and reconciliation," she said. "And as we all look forward to the start
of a new decade, it's worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not
the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change." As is
customary, the Queen spent Christmas morning at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk,
eastern England, joined by other members of the Royal Family. That group did
not include Harry and Meghan, who are spending the holidays with their son in
Canada. The royals who were at the
service were greeted by several hundred well-wishers outside the church
grounds. After the service, William, Kate and their two children mingled with
the crowd to exchange Christmas greetings. Gemma Clark, who was in a
wheelchair, gave Charlotte an inflatable pink flamingo and received a hug in
return. She said the flamingo was called Felicity, but that Charlotte was free
to give it another name. "It made my day," Clark added. "I've
never seen the Royal Family, ever." After church, the royals gathered in
Sandringham House for a gala turkey lunch. Prince Philip, the Duke of
Edinburgh, who released from hospital on Tuesday after going in the previous
week, had been receiving treatment for what Buckingham Palace called a
"precautionary measure" to treat a pre-existing condition. He walked
out of King Edward VII Hospital and shook hands with a nurse before getting in
the front passenger seat of a Range Rover car and being driven away. Philip
retired from public life in August 2017, but has appeared at a handful of
official engagements since then. Also on Wednesday, Kensington Palace released
a new photograph of Prince William and Charlotte as well as her siblings Prince
Louis and Prince George. The photograph was taken earlier this year by Kate,
the Duchess of Cambridge, while the family was in Norfolk.
^ This year’s speech worked on
several levels (with her own family and the drama around it and what is going
on around the UK, Canada and the rest of the world.) ^
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