The Queen is to urge Britain to overcome "deeply held differences" by treating one another with "respect and as a fellow human being" in her Christmas message to the nation.

Her Majesty will share a message of peace and goodwill she says is needed “as much as ever” in her annual festive broadcast.

“Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step towards greater understanding,” she will say.

As head of state, the Queen remains publicly neutral on political matters.

Yet her comments, in her last speech before Britain's scheduled departure from the European Union in March, come at the end of a fraught year of political negotiations following the Brexit vote.

Parliamentary deadlock over Theresa May’s Brexit deal - which will be voted on by MPs next month - has led to growing calls for a second referendum, which Mrs May and Leave supporting MPs have warned would further divide the nation and lead to political chaos.

While Buckingham Palace is always quick to deny political motives behind anything the Queen says, she has in the past used subtle comments to influence the public’s thinking on political matters.