Queen Elizabeth II has delivered her latest televised Christmas address, which has become a time-honored tradition that started on the radio and before moving to television in 1957.  In it she remembered Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, commended Princes Charles and William and their wives for their environmental efforts and ignored Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew.

Looking regal though somewhat somber, the Queen is clearly looking ahead towards her legacy, while trying her best to ignore or minimize the more problematic elements within the family.

The Queen wore red for this occasion with a rather large sapphire broach, which she has worn on notable occasions with her husband Prince Philip, including her honeymoon and diamond anniversary.

She started her address: Although it’s a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones.

“This year, especially, I understand why.

“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.

“His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation were all irrepressible.

“That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.

“But life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings – and as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy Christmas.”

The personal nature of her address conveys her sense of loss and how she struggles to live without the man who spent over seven decades by his side.

In regards to her two direct heirs and their wives, she said: “That’s why he created The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which offers young people throughout the Commonwealth and beyond the chance of exploration and adventure.

“It remains an astonishing success, grounded in his faith in the future.

“He was also an early champion of taking seriously our stewardship of the environment, and I am proud beyond words that his pioneering work has been taken on and magnified by our eldest son Charles and his eldest son William – admirably supported by Camilla and Catherine – most recently at the COP climate change summit in Glasgow.”

To Harry and Meghan, their lack of inclusion in her comments will likely be interpreted as a slight. 

Throughout their royal career, the couple have been frustrated in their belief that they were sidelined in favor to the direct heirs, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. 

In 2019, royal author Christopher Andersen shared that the California based couple were miffed that they were left out of the photo display during the Queen’s 2019 Christmas address. 

He said, “I think this is a turning point. There are all sorts of subtle messages that are conveyed in this, kind of soap opera that goes on. In 2018, she sat there in front of a Christmas tree. She gave her Christmas address and there were the family photos.”

This included a photo taken in 2018 featuring Prince Charles, his sons and their families for his 70th birthday. Archie, at this time, was not yet born.

This all changed in 2019, when a picture of the Cambridge family very prominently displayed, which made sense considering that Prince William and Catherine were growing into their roles and their family is the future of the monarchy. Apparently, according to Andersen, a photo of the Sussex family was originally included before Her Majesty requested that it be removed.

Knowing the graciousness of Her Majesty, it’s highly unlikely that she intended to offend her grandson, but as he and his wife are consumed by their victim narrative they were of course offended.

However, this was always going to happen. 

As the Cambridge family grew and as Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte get older, Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lili will naturally fade into the background in terms of prominence within the family.

This is how it works in all monarchies, not just the British.

Due to the Queen’s age, the institution will naturally refocus on the direct heirs. Harry and his family are the spares. They can represent the monarchy as working royals, but they would always have played second fiddle to Princes Charles and William.

Meghan Markle, who throughout her acting career always considered herself as a star without a proper stage, began her time within the royal family by immediately casting herself as its future Queen of Hearts. But she had no desire to do the necessary work to make that happen.

As a result, she eventually became the villain and has now ostracized herself and her husband from the monarchy. It makes sense that they would denied a place in the broadcast, but they’ll still be peeved about it.

Prince Andrew did not receive a mention as well, but he’ll wisely keep silent on the matter.

The Queen has had a most challenging year, and it was reflected in her broadcast. She looked tired and a little rough, as if it’s all almost been too much. Hopefully in 2022, the focus will be on her Platinum Jubilee, the stability she brought the Commonwealth and her long and historic reign. The less on the antics and scandals of Princes Harry and Andrew and Meghan Markle make the news, the better.