In the year which saw divisions over Scottish independence and the 100th anniversary of the first world war Christmas truce, reconciliation was the theme of the Queen’s traditional Christmas message to the Commonwealth.
She also highlighted the Ebola epidemic, revealing she was “deeply touched” by the “selflessness” of medical staff from the UK and other nations volunteering to help combat the outbreaks in countries such as Sierra Leone in west Africa, “often at great personal risk”.
She looked to Northern Ireland and to the trenches of the first world war as examples of divided communities coming together.
There was the briefest of mentions of September’s Scottish independence referendum, which polarised many communities from the Outer Hebrides to the main cities.
Before the vote, she had told a well-wisher outside Craithie Kirk, near Balmoral, that voters in Scotland should “think very carefully about the future”, a comment said to have been crafted after consultation between the palace and the government, and interpreted as an indication of the politically neutral monarch’s personal wishes for the United Kingdom to stay together.
In her personal Christmas statement, she acknowledged the division the vote had caused, saying: “Of course, reconciliation takes different forms. In Scotland after the referendum many felt great disappointment, while others felt great relief; and bridging these differences will take time.”
Her message was recorded before the Glasgow tragedy which saw six people die and several others injured when a bin lorry careered out of control this week.
Turning to Northern Ireland, the Queen highlighted the peace process as an example of her theme. “The benefits of reconciliation were clear to see when I visited Belfast in June,” she said. Her tour of the set of medieval fantasy epic Game of Thrones may have attracted most of the media attention, but for her, “my visit to the Crumlin Road Gaol will remain vividly in my mind”.
Footage was shown of her walking through the building, now a tourist attraction and conference centre, alongside Stormont first minister Peter Robinson and deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, both of whom had spent time in its cells in the 1970s or 1980s. “What was once a prison during the Troubles is now a place of hope and fresh purpose; a reminder of what is possible when people reach out to one another,” she said.
The acclaimed Tower of London poppy installation – Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, which saw the planting of 888,246 ceramic poppies in the moat, each marking a Commonwealth soldier’s death – had served as a poignant reminder of sacrifice, she said. She and the Duke of Edinburgh visited the installation by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper in October.
“The ceramic poppies at the Tower of London drew millions, and the only possible reaction to walking among them was silence,” she said. “For every poppy, a life; and a reminder of the grief of loved ones left behind.”
“In 1914, many people thought the war would be over by Christmas, but sadly by then the trenches were dug and the future shape of the war in Europe was set,” she said.
“But, as we know, something remarkable did happen that Christmas, exactly a hundred years ago today. Without any instruction or command, the shooting stopped, and German and British soldiers met in no man’s land. Photographs were taken and gifts exchanged. It was a Christmas truce.” Black and white photographs of the forces meeting between the lines over the 1914 Christmas period were shown.
She continued: “Sometimes it seems that reconciliation stands little chance in the face of war and discord. But, as the Christmas truce a century ago reminds us, peace and goodwill have lasting power in the hearts of men and women.”
On a table next to her, alongside photographs of her grandfather George V – the monarch during the first world war – and grandmother Queen Mary, the Queen had on display an embossed brass box. Boxes just like this one were sent to those serving overseas at Christmas, filled with gifts such as tobacco and chocolate, and organised by the Sailors and Soldiers Christmas Fund created by George’s daughter, Princess Mary.
Sport was “a wonderful way of bridging together people and nations”, she said, citing the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Invictus Games organised by her grandson Prince Harry for injured service personnel, and the Olympics where, in the ancient world, “wars and battles were put on hold” for the duration of the games.
She also spoke of her own Christian faith, and how Christ’s example had taught her to “respect and value all people of whatever faith or none”.
As footage was shown of the Royal Marine Band performing the Christmas carol Silent Night, she ended her address with the words: “On that chilly Christmas Eve in 1914 many of the German forces sang Silent Night, its haunting melody inching across the line.
“That carol is still much loved today, a legacy of the Christmas truce, and a reminder to us all that even in the unlikeliest of places hope can still be found. A very happy Christmas to you all.”
