London
Queen Elizabeth II will describe 2019 as “quite bumpy” in her traditional Christmas Day message, after a year of crises which saw Britain divided over its impending exit from the European Union and her son Prince Andrew forced to withdraw from public life. The 93-year-old monarch, whose husband Philip is receiving treatment in hospital, will use her televised address on Wednesday to reflect on the need for reconciliation. The royal family was swept up in scandals that included a calamitous BBC interview with the queen’s second son who tried to distance himself from American paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In a portion of her Christmas speech released in advance, the queen says the life of Jesus shows the importance of reconciliation.
