Queen Elizabeth Looks Back on a ‘Quite Bumpy’ Year

The Queen has issued her 2019 Christmas message in which she appeared to appeal for the United Kingdom to come together after the deep fractures caused by Brexit. “Reconciliation seldom happens overnight," she said. "It takes patience and time to rebuild trust.” Her Majesty also described the year gone by as “quite bumpy,” in what is seen as her first public acknowledgement of her son’s involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. But Her Majesty framed her message around rather more epochal events: the 50th anniversary of the moon mission and the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. She spoke of her "delight" at the birth of Harry and Meghan’s son Archie. In her televised address, she also praised the “sense of purpose” displayed by young climate activists.