Queen Elizabeth mourns Prince Philip, ignores Harry in Christmas address

Queen Elizabeth shared a sorrowful Christmas message Saturday, mourning the loss of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh — who she referred to as her “beloved Philip.”

“Although it’s a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones,” said the 95-year-old monarch, wearing red and seated next to a photo of her and her husband.

“This year, especially, I understand why.”

Philip died in April, two months before his 100th birthday. The pair had been married for 73 years and had four children: Princess Anne and Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward.

“But for me, in the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work — from around the country, the Commonwealth and the world,” the queen said in the pre-taped address.

“His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation — were all irrepressible. That mischievous, inquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.”

Buckingham Palace announced this week that the queen plans to stage a service of thanksgiving Philip’s life this spring.

The queen celebrated Christmas at Windsor Castle with Prince Charles, his wife Camilla, who is the Duchess of Cornwall, and a few other relatives. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Queen skipped her usual annual Christmas trip to Sandringham, her royal estate in Norfolk.

In her speech, the queen did not mention her grandson Prince Harry, who has squared off with the royal family over their treatment of his wife, actress Meghan Markle.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, Harry and his wife opened up about their split from the rest of the royal family, and said some of its members had expressed concern about the skin tone of their first son, Archie, when Markle was pregnant.

The queen’s only acknowledgement of Harry or his family came when she mentioned that she had welcomed four new great-grandchildren this year, one of whom is Harry and Meghan’s daughter, Lili, who was born in June.

“For me and my family, even with one familiar laugh missing this year, there will be joy in Christmas, as we have the chance to reminisce, and see anew the wonder of the festive season through the eyes of our young children, of whom we were delighted to welcome four more this year,” the queen said.

“They teach us all a lesson, just as the Christmas story does, that in the birth of a child, there is a new dawn with endless potential.”