Following a year that saw intense divisions over Brexit, the queen urged the UK to come together in her Christmas message. Young climate activists and Germany's Angela Merkel also received prominent nods in her speech.
Image: Getty Images/S. Parsons
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Queen Elizabeth II called on Britons to forgive and "set aside past differences" in her annual Christmas speech on Wednesday.
"That path of course is not always smooth and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference," she said.
Although she didn't explicitly mention Brexit, her speech comes on the heels of a divisive general election that saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson secure a majority in Parliament — with the UK now set to leave the European Union at the end of January.
In a rare nod to climate change, Britain's longest-reigning monarch said that she was impressed with young people working to protect the environment.
"The challenges faced today may be different to those once faced by my generation, but I have been struck by how new generations have brought a similar sense of purpose to issues such as protecting our environment and our climate," she noted.
Merkel makes appearance
This year also marked the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that liberated Europe from Nazi Germany, with Elizabeth noting that former enemies came together for memorial ceremonies this year.
"Such reconciliation seldom happens overnight. It takes patience and time to rebuild trust," she said, adding that progress comes gradually.
Throughout her comments on reconciliation, the video of her speech showed several clips of the queen smiling and speaking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at various events this year.
High Five: 5 odd nicknames for Queen Elizabeth
The British monarch is also a great-grandma and wife, which is why Queen Elizabeth doesn't only have official names and titles, but also different unsuspected nicknames.
Image: picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com/Yui Mok
Lilibet
The English pronunciation of "Elizabeth" is a tongue-twister not only for Germans. Even the future Queen found it hard to pronounce her own name when she was a child. That's why she called herself "Lilibet." Her family kept on calling her that way until she had ascended to the throne in 1952.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress
Shirley Temple
Elizabeth's uncle Edward discovered an amazing similarity between her as a young girl — with her chubby face and curly hair — and Shirley Temple. That's why he chose the name of the US child star as his favorite nickname for his niece. By abdicating the throne in 1936 to marry American socialite and divorcee Wallis Simpson, Edward made it possible for Elizabeth to become Queen.
Long before this picture was shot, when Prince William was still a small child, he wasn't able to pronounce "Granny" and found it easier to call her "Gary" instead. A male name, and a rather ordinary one at that? It's likely that the Queen only allowed her beloved grandson to call her this way.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Gan-Gan
Prince William's son George also had difficulties with "Granny." When he was two years old, he used to call his great-grandma "Gan-Gan." That's at least what Duchess Kate claimed in a documentary about the royals. Chances are that the little prince has already overcome this stage. He will turn five in July.
Image: Reuters/S. Wermuth
Cabbage
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth have been married for more than 70 years. It would be odd indeed if he called her "Queen" or "Her Majesty." The nickname he uses for his wife was only revealed recently: Apparently, he affectionately calls her "Cabbage." There's room for speculation about the reasons behind this peculiar choice.
Image: Getty Images/C. Jackson
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Elizabeth looked back at several historic events during her speech, starting with the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing.
She frequently referenced US astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous words when he and the Apollo 11 crew touched down — that it was "a small step for man and a giant leap for mankind."
"And, indeed, for womankind," the queen added, before later returning to the moon landing in a conclusion that focused on the importance of small steps, not just giant leaps.
Turbulent year for UK and royals
The speech also came on the heels of turbulent times for the royal family as well.
Last month, the queen's son Prince Andrew stepped down from public duties following a disastrous BBC interview where he tried to defend his continued friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein became a convicted sex offender.
A warts-and-all documentary on Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, filmed on an official visit to Africa soon after the birth of their son Archie, also showed the couple struggling with the media attention they're facing in Britain and beyond. It culminated with Harry electing in October to take the owners of several British newspapers to court, evoking the treatment his late mother, Princess Diana, received at the hands of the paparazzi in his statement explaining the move.
Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, spent several days in the hospital ahead of Christmas for an unspecified condition, leading to concerns about the 98-year-old's health. He was able to rejoin the family for the festive period.
5 things you probably never would have guessed were presents to Queen Elizabeth II
Birthdays, jubilees or official visits - the queen is constantly showered with presents. Elizabeth II has been on the throne so long, her collection of gifts contains some oddities indeed.
Image: Imago/Steffen Schellhorn
Travel option
In 2013, the London Underground celebrated its 150th anniversary. Of course, the queen came to congratulate, too — and received a little something as a gift, just for Her Majesty: a commemorative Oyster Card, the electronic ticket used for public transport in London. The queen said thank you, but hasn't been spotted riding the tube since.
Image: Getty Images/P. Macdiarmid
Yee-Haw!
Ever since she was a girl, Queen Elizabeth has been very fond of horses. She's also a gifted rider, so her shoe collection is sure to include riding boots. This gift by a Texas governor, however, is unlikely to have brought a sparkle to her eye: During a US visit 1991, she and her grandchildren received hand-tooled cowboy boots. No one ever saw her wear the boots.
Image: Imago/All Canada Photos
Fruit shortage
Looking at this gift today, you might think Queensland authorities were making a bad joke when the Australian state sent Elizabeth and her husband Philipp 500 crates of canned pineapple as a wedding gift in 1947. In fact, the food situation was still dire after the war, so the canned fruit ended up being a much-welcome donation for schools and hospitals.
Image: Getty Images/Keystone
The queen and the king
The painting the queen received in Berlin in 2015 is entitled "Horse in Royal Blue." It's by a German painter, and portrays the monarch as a young girl on a pony with her father, King George VI. The German and the British press mocked the artwork. A pro after 63 years on the throne, the queen kept her opinion to herself.
Image: picture-alliance/Bundespresseamt/J. Denzel
Idle tree-dwellers
Similarities with living persons are purely coincidental, one would hope, in view of this gift by the Brazilian government in 1968: a cute but quite inert pair of sloths. Off they went to London Zoo, home to a few other "live" gifts: a jaguar, an elephant and two beavers from Canada.
