Christmas Broadcast 1994
Published
To see British and Russian veterans standing together, in memory of the sacrifices of their comrades-in-arms, was a moving experience.
In 1994 The Queen and other members of the Royal Family travelled to Northern France to mark the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The year also saw the first ever State Visit to Russia, during which The Queen and Prince Philip were guests of President Yeltsin. The Queen's Christmas Broadcast in 1994 reflected on past and present peace efforts.
I shall never forget the events in Normandy last June, when the representatives of the wartime allies commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the D-Day landings.
We who were there, and millions of others through television and radio, paid fitting tribute to the courage of those who took part in that epic campaign.
As Prince Philip and I stood watching the British veterans march past on the beach at Arromanches, my own memories of 1944 were stirred - of how it was to wait anxiously for news of friends and relations engaged in that massive and hazardous operation; of the subsequent ebb and flow of the battles in France and then in Germany itself; and of the gradual realisation that the war really was at least coming to an end.
Since those D-Day commemorations, Prince Philip and I have been to Russia. While we were in St. Petersburg, we had the opportunity to honour the millions of patriotic Russians who died fighting the common enemy.
To see British and Russian veterans standing together, in memory of the sacrifices of their comrades-in-arms, was a moving experience.
I never thought it would be possible in my lifetime to join with the Patriarch of Moscow and his congregation in a service in that wonderful cathedral in the heart of the Moscow Kremlin.
This Christmas, as we pray for peace at home and abroad - not least in Russia itself - we can also give thanks that such cathedrals and churches will be full and that the great bells, which greeted us, will be ringing out to celebrate our Saviour's birth.
We are frequently reminded, of course, that violence and hatred are still all too much in evidence. We can take some comfort, however, from the fact that more people throughout the world, year by year, have real hope of their children growing up in peace and free from fear.
Last Christmas we were witnessing the signs of a new dawn after the long bitterness, and this year these signs have become steadily stronger. If that new dawn is to be a real and not a false one, courage, patience and faith will be sorely needed - those same qualities which kept the flame of hope alive in the war-torn countries of Europe and the Far East in the dark days of the last war.
Christ taught us to love our enemies and to do good to them that hate us. It is a hard lesson to learn, but this year we have seen shining examples of that generosity of spirit which alone can banish division and prejudice.
In Northern Ireland, peace is gradually taking root; a fully democratic South Africa has been welcomed back into the Commonwealth; and, in the Middle East, long-standing enmities are healing.
What is it that makes people turn from violence, and try to bring peace to their community? Most of all, I believe, it is their determination to bring reality to their hopes of a better world for their children.
The sight of the happy faces of children and young people in Russia, in South Africa, where so much has changed with such extraordinary speed in the last year, and in Northern Ireland, where there is real hope of a permanent end to the bitterness of recent years, should be enough to convince even the most hard-hearted that peace is worth striving for.
Next year, we shall commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The celebrations will no doubt be spectacular, and I hope we all enjoy them. But we can also, each in our own way, ensure that they leave a lasting mark in history.
If we resolve to be considerate and to help our neighbours; to make friends with people of different races and religions; and, as our Lord said, to look to our own faults before we criticise others, we will be keeping faith with those who landed in Normandy and fought so doggedly for their belief in freedom, peace and human decency.
The poet Siegfried Sassoon, amidst all the horrors of war, still found himself able to write these words:-
"Everyone's voice was suddenly lifted
And beauty came like the setting sun."
If he could see the beauty from the trenches of Flanders surely we can look for it in our own lives, this Christmas and in the coming year.
Happy Christmas and God bless you.
Related content
Ceremony for the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, 10 October 2002
I am happy to be in Hamilton today in order to present new Colours and to visit my Canadian Argylls.
Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver, Canada, 7 October 2002
Je chéris ma place dans la vie du Canada et mon lien avec tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes.
Legislative Assembly in Nunavut, Canada, 4 October 2002
I am proud to be the first member of the Canadian Royal Family to be greeted in Canada's newest territory.
Opening ceremony of the 17th Commonwealth Games, Manchester, 25 July 2002
It is my pleasure in this my Golden Jubilee Year to declare the 17th Commonwealth Games open.
Golden Jubilee visit to Liverpool, 25 July 2002
I am glad to be in Merseyside, which must be one of the most distinctive and energetic parts of the United Kingdom.
A speech by The Queen on her Golden Jubilee
I hope that these celebrations will remind us of our shared heritage and what it means to be a united people, enjoying the support of families, friends and neighbours around...
The death of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, 8 April 2002
I thank you for the support you are giving me and my family as we come to terms with her death and the void she has left in our midst.
Opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government, Australia, 2 March 2002
It is our very diversity which makes the Commonwealth strong.
Roma Street Parkland, Brisbane, Australia, 3 March 2002
We have both been struck by both the diversity as well as the dynamism of Australia, and the vigour and humour of Australians everywhere.
Adelaide Festival Hall, Australia, 27 February 2002
Whatever may lie ahead, I declare again here tonight that my admiration, affection and regard for the people of Australia will remain, as it has been over these past fifty...
Maori gathering at Rehua Marae, Christchurch, New Zealand, 25 February 2002
New Zealand is working to improve and strengthen all the various relationships between Maori and the Crown.
State dinner in Wellington, New Zealand, 25 February 2002
It is both a privilege and a pleasure to have served as Queen of New Zealand for these fifty years.
Jamaican Parliament, 19 February 2002
The Commonwealth remains one of the strongest pillars for the building of world-wide peace, growth and development.
Christmas Broadcast 2001
For Christmas marks a moment to pause, to reflect and believe in the possibilities of rebirth and renewal.
Christmas Broadcast 2000
By any measure this Millennium year has been an unforgettable one.
Christmas Broadcast 1999
This December we are looking back not just on one year, but on a hundred years and a thousand years.
Christmas Broadcast 1998
Though we each lead different lives, the experience of growing older, and the joys and emotions which it brings, are familiar to us all.
A speech by The Queen on her Golden Wedding Anniversary
He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.
A speech by The Queen following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
May those who died rest in peace and may we, each and every one of us, thank God for someone who made many, many people happy.
Christmas Broadcast 1996
I remember my own childhood Christmases here, with my father and mother, and a great family gathering, and now I delight in seeing my children and grandchildren enjoying the...
Christmas Broadcast 1995
But I cannot think of any Christmas of my reign when the message of the angels has been more apt.
Christmas Broadcast 1954
So, our Commonwealth hearth becomes more precious than ever before by the contrast between its homely security and the storm which sometimes seems to be brewing outside, in...
Christmas Broadcast 1992
I first came here for Christmas as a grandchild. Nowadays, my grandchildren come here for the same family festival.
A speech by The Queen on the 40th Anniversary of her succession (Annus horribilis speech)
1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.
Christmas Broadcast 1991
I am constantly amazed by the generosity of donors and subscribers, great and small, who give so willingly and often towards the enjoyment of others.
Christmas Broadcast 1990
I hope that all of us lucky enough to be able to enjoy such gatherings this Christmas will take time to count our blessings.
Christmas Broadcast 1989
Unlike all the other planets in the solar system, earth shimmers green and blue in the sunlight and looks a very pleasant place to live.
Christmas Broadcast 1988
May the Christmas story encourage you, for it is a message of hope every year, not for a few, but for all.
A speech by The Queen to mark Australia's bicentenary
More than ten thousand men and women can take great pride in the parts they have played in the creation of this symbol of Australian unity and democracy.
Christmas Broadcast 1987
I hope we will all help each other to have a happy Christmas and, when the New Year comes, resolve to work for tolerance and understanding between all people.
Christmas Broadcast 1986
There are many serious and threatening problems in this country and in the world but they will never be solved until there is peace in our homes and love in our hearts.
Christmas Broadcast 1985
These success stories are often pushed into the background but they are the guarantee of our future.
Christmas Broadcast 1984
But friendship, whether we are talking of continents or next door neighbours, should not need strife as its forerunner.
Christmas Broadcast 1983
I hope that Christmas will remind us all that it is not how we communicate but what we communicate with each other that really matters.
Christmas Broadcast 1982
Throughout history, seamen all over the world have shared a common experience and there is a special sense of brotherhood between merchant and naval seamen, fishermen...
Christmas Broadcast 1981
All around us we see these acts of selflessness, people putting the life of someone else before their own.
Christmas Broadcast 1980
I come across examples of unselfish service in all walks of life and in many unexpected places.
Christmas Broadcast 1979
Today we celebrate the birth of the child who transformed history and gave us a great faith.
Christmas Broadcast 1978
My grandfather, King George V, started the tradition of the Christmas Day Broadcasts back in 1932.
A speech by The Queen to Parliament on her Silver Jubilee
Perhaps this Jubilee is a time to remind ourselves of the benefits which union has conferred, at home and in our international dealings, on the inhabitants of all parts of...
Christmas Broadcast 1976
Remember that good spreads outwards and every little does help.
Christmas Broadcast 1973
I believe that Christmas should remind us that the qualities of the human spirit are more important than material gain.
Christmas Broadcast 1971
The Christmas message is really one for all seasons and not just for one day of the year.