Alaska News

In England, how did Queen wish everybody merry Christmas?

The Queen of England has declared 2012 full of "excitement and drama," making special mention of London's "splendid" Olympics in her annual Christmas message to the Commonwealth. In a message prerecorded in 3D and parts of which were released ahead of a Christmas Day broadcast, Queen Elizabeth II used the Olympics as a mark of the year's achievements, according to the Guardian saying:

The Queen is no novice when it comes to broadcasting on radio and TV — her first Christmas speech was broadcast on radio in 1952 and her first televised message in 1957, the Guardian wrote. Nor is she a stranger to 3D, having undergone movie training in Toronto, Canada, in 2010.

The 86-year-old monarch, pictured viewing a preview of her annual Christmas message in 3D, was said to be delighted with the recording, calling it "absolutely lovely," according to the Daily Mail. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said:

The Queen and Prince Philip, 91, will spend Christmas Day at their country estate, Sandringham, hosting a family gathering that her star grandchildren — princes William and Harry — will miss.

Prince William will spend the day with his pregnant wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, at her parents' house while Harry is on duty with the British military in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Queen missed a regular Sunday church service at Sandringham for the first time "in living memory," according to the Daily Mail, having come down with a nasty cold.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said:

ADVERTISEMENT