Monarch uses festive TV broadcast to urge viewers to keep up hope after year marked by terrorist attacks and refugee crisis

In a year which saw a series of terrorist atrocities, including in Paris and Tunisia, as well as a refugee crisis in Europe, the Queen has highlighted the “moments of darkness” that confronted the world in her Christmas Day address to the Commonwealth.



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The mass shootings and bombings that killed 130 in Paris last month, and the gun attack which claimed the lives of 38 tourists, including 30 Britons, at the Tunisian resort of Sousse in June, shocked the world.



In her annual message, which traditionally has a strong religious framework, the Queen said: “It is true that the world had to confront moments of darkness this year, but the Gospel of John contains a verse of great hope, often read at Christmas carol services, ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’”

Speaking in a year also dominated by the plight of hundreds of thousands of refugees flooding into Europe, she said the birth of Jesus in a stable was in circumstances which “were far from ideal, but worse was to come as the family was forced to flee the country”.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Charles and Camilla join William and Kate in Sandringham. Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

She continued: “It’s no surprise that such a human story still captures our imagination and continues to inspire all of us who are Christians, the world over.



“Despite being displaced and persecuted throughout his short life, Christ’s unchanging message was not one of revenge or violence but simply that we should love one another,” she said.



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“Although it is not an easy message to follow, we shouldn’t be discouraged; rather, it inspires us to try harder, to be thankful for the people who bring love and happiness into our own lives, and to look for ways of spreading that love to others, whenever and wherever we can.”



This marked the Queen’s 62nd Christmas broadcast – one every year of her reign except for 1969, when there was a surfeit of coverage due to Charles’s investiture as Prince of Wales – and is one of the rare occasions when she does not turn to government for advice but voices her own personal views.



She looked back on a year which saw her surpass Victoria’s record to become the nation’s longest reigning monarch, and ahead to a year which will see her celebrate another milestone, her 90th birthday on 21 April, and about which she made a light-hearted reference.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shelter from the rain. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters

“Gathering around the tree gives us a chance to think about the year ahead,” she said. “I am looking forward to a busy 2016, though I have been warned I may have Happy Birthday sung to me more than once or twice.”



On a more sombre note, she added: “It also allows us to reflect on the year that has passed as we think of those who are far away or no longer with us. Many people say the first Christmas after losing a loved one is particularly hard. But it’s also a time to remember all that we have to be thankful for.



“One cause for thankfulness this summer was marking 70 years since the end of the second world war. On VJ Day, we honoured the remaining veterans of that terrible conflict in the far east, as well as remembering the thousands who never returned. The procession from Horse Guards Parade to Westminster Abbey must have been one of the slowest ever, because so many people wanted to say thank you to them.”



Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Queen leaves the church in Sandringham. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters

Pre-recorded with her seated at a desk in Buckingham Palace’s 18th Century Room, one of three family photographs on show was of the christening of the latest addition to her family – Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who was born on 2 May.



In her message, broadcast throughout the Commonwealth, of which she is symbolic head, she looked back at the origins of the Christmas tree, which Queen Charlotte, the German-born wife of George III is credited with introducing to the UK, though it was popularised by Victoria’s husband, Albert.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Prince Harry greets wellwishers after attending the Christmas church service at Sandringham. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

“At the end of that [second world] war, the people of Oslo began sending an annual gift of a Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square. It has 500 lightbulbs and is enjoyed not just by Christians but by people of all faiths and of none. At the very top sits a bright star, to represent the Star of Bethlehem,” she said.



Electric lights had long replaced candles on the tree since Victoria’s day. Sounding an optimistic note, she said: “There’s an old saying that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. There are millions of people lighting candles of hope in our world today. Christmas is a good time to be thankful for them, and for all that brings light to our lives.”

Around 1,000 well-wishers turned out to watch the royal family attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church on the Sandringham estate. Those who hoped for a glimpse of two-year-old Prince George and sister Charlotte, seven months, were disappointed as the Cambridges arrived without them.



It was understood that the Queen and Prince Philip were being joined by 31 members of the royal family for lunch at Sandringham House.