London: Queen Elizabeth II has used her annual Christmas message to pay tribute to the "powerful identities" who "shone through" in the face of terrorist attacks in Britain this year.

The Queen's message to the Commonwealth looked back over the previous 12 months and took 'home' as its theme.

The pre-recorded address, which was filmed at Buckingham Palace, screened as the Queen enjoyed Christmas Day at Sandringham with her family.

"This Christmas, I think of London and Manchester, whose powerful identities shone through over the past 12 months in the face of appalling attacks," she said in the message.