By: Yassmine ElSayed
CAIRO, Dec. 25 (SEE) - The Queen told the story of her year in pictures and decorations at Buckingham Palace as she recorded her Christmas broadcast, daily mail reported. The 92-year-old filmed her annual message two weeks ago, preaching a message of 'peace on earth and goodwill to all' amid rancorous political pisions in Britain this year.
Photos laid out in the White Drawing Room included pictures from the two royal weddings in 2018 - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's ceremony in May and Princess Eugenie's marriage to Jack Brooksbank in October.
She also paid tribute to Prince Charles, who marked his 70th birthday last month, with a black-and-white picture of her eldest son as a baby on the desk next to her as she spoke.
1. IVORY SILK COCKTAIL DRESS
In the Christmas broadcast the Queen is wearing an ivory silk cocktail dress, designed by her senior dresser Angela Kelly, with pastel blue, white and gold lamé lace overlay. She also made a replica of the Royal Christening Robe for Prince Louis' ceremony at St James' Palace on July 9, and a lime green hat which the Queen wore to Harry and Meghan's wedding on May 19.
2. THE BROOCH GIVEN TO HER BY PHILIP
The Scarab brooch the Queen is wearing was a gift from Prince Philip in 1966. It was designed by Andrew Grima, and is crafted of yellow gold, with a carved ruby and diamond embellishments. The Queen's 97-year-old husband has stepped back from official engagements but attended both royal weddings, notably being pictured with Princess Eugenie's mother Sarah Ferguson for the first time since the 1990s.
3. GILDED PIANO GIVEN TO QUEEN VICTORIA
This magnificent gilded piano by S&P Erard was made for Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert in 1856. It is made of painted and varnished mahogany, satinwood and pine, with a gilded and painted surface by François Rochardit, with decorations such as monkeys playing musical instruments.
4. BABY PRINCE CHARLES
The picture, taken in April 1949, shows a smiling 23-year-old Princess Elizabeth and her husband Philip holding baby Charles. To mark Charles's 70th birthday last month the Queen paid tribute to him as a 'dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history'. The Queen used a black-tie dinner staged in Charles's honour to praise him as 'his own man, passionate and creative'.
5. THE QUEEN'S FATHER
This portrait shows the future King George V - then known as Prince Albert - in his naval uniform, around the time he served on board HMS Collingwood during the naval Battle of Jutland in the First World War in 1916. The prince never expected to be King but took the throne in tumultuous circumstances after his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936. The Queen came to the throne when he died in February 1952.
6. CHARLES AND HIS FAMILY
This 70th birthday portrait shows Prince Charles at ease with his family. He sits with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; his two children William and Harry and their wives Kate and Meghan; and his great-grandchildren George, Charlotte and Louis. Another great-grandchild is due to follow in the spring of 2019 when Meghan's first child is expected. The picture was taken in the gardens of Clarence House in September.
7. PRINCESS EUGENIE'S WEDDING TO JACK BROOKSBANK
Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank pose with their page boys and bridesmaids in a different White Drawing Room, at Windsor where the couple married. The youngsters included Prince George and Prince Charlotte, Isla Phillips and Mia Tindall, as well as Theodora Williams, daughter of singer Robbie Williams and wife Ayda Field.
8. PRINCE HARRY'S WEDDING TO MEGHAN MARKLE
An official photo from Harry and Meghan's star-studded wedding at Windsor on May 19 shows the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex smiling together on the East Terrace of Windsor Castle, with Meghan in her Givenchy gown. The ceremony combined the ceremony of a British royal family wedding with less traditional elements such as a spirited address by American bishop Michael Curry.
9. WILLIAM AND KATE'S CHRISTMAS CARD
This year's Christmas card from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge features this photo of the couple with their children Prince George, aged five; Princess Charlotte, aged three; and Prince Louis, aged eight months. It was taken by Matt Porteous in the grounds of their country home at Anmer Hall, Norfolk, as they celebrate their first festive season as a family of five after Prince Louis' birth in April.
10. VICTORIAN MARBLE SCULPTURE
This marble figure of Sappho, an ancient Greek poet, was the work of William Theed, a sculptor whose services were often used by Victoria and Albert and whose work appears across Buckingham Palace and Osborne House, Victoria's summer retreat on the Isle of Wight.
11. CHRISTMAS TREES - BROUGHT TO BRITAIN BY THE ROYALS
Queen Charlotte, the German-born wife of George III, who is credited with introducing the Christmas tree to the UK, decorating an evergreen tree for the family as early as the 1790s with candles, paper flowers and sweets. It was Prince Albert who popularised the custom more widely, presenting trees to schools and Army barracks after a print showing the royal couple with their children around a tree was published in the Illustrated London News.
12. ONE OF FOUR FIREPLACES
On each of the White Drawing Room's four walls there is a marble fireplace like this one. Three have a large overmantel mirror such as the one behind the Queen, while one has a portrait of Queen Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII who reigned from 1901 to 1910.
The Queen, 92, said 'I believe his message of peace on earth and goodwill to all is never out of date. It can be heeded by everyone; it's needed as much as ever.'
During her address the monarch also highlighted the importance of people with strongly opposing views bridging the gap between one another, by being civil and acting with common decency.'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 gave gifts to her staff, personally handing out the presents, usually vouchers, to long-serving members of the household.
The monarch and Philip send around 750 Christmas cards every year, which will usually feature a family photo. Cards are signed 'Elizabeth R' and 'Philip', and include their official cyphers.
Family, friends, and members of the Royal Household are the recipients, but British and Commonwealth Prime Ministers, Governor-Generals and High Commissioners may also be sent one.
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