Queen reflects on joy and sadness

In her special message to the nation, she said her grief at the death of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret had been "tempered by the generous tributes".

"At such a difficult time this gave me great comfort and inspiration as I faced up both to my own personal loss and to the busy Jubilee summer ahead."

" The need to remember our responsibilities to others is greater than ever "
Excerpt from Queen's speech

Peppering her address with references to her religious beliefs, the Queen said she had relied on her faith "to guide me through the good times and the bad".

She said the Golden Jubilee had become more than just an anniversary.

"The celebrations were joyous occasions but they also seemed to evoke something more lasting and profound - a sense of belonging and pride in country, town, or community."

While the Queen spoke, viewers saw a montage of extracts from her year of engagements, with the high points of the Golden Jubilee weekend included.

Twin pillars

But there was also more sombre footage including the Bali memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral in London.

And the Queen indicated she keenly felt the weight of her responsibilities after a year of such contrasts.

"Our modern world places such heavy demands on our time and attention that the need to remember our responsibilities to others is greater than ever."

The Queen ended her speech by speaking of her reliance on the twin pillars of the "message of hope" in the Christian gospel and the support of the public.

Speaking from the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace, the Queen spoke with photographs of the Queen Mother, King George VI and Princess Margaret beside her.

She wore a rock crystal and hand-painted brooch set with 100 diamonds, which she had given her late mother as a 100th birthday present.

For the first time, this year's Royal address was trailed in what was seen as a bid to boost flagging ratings.

In 1987, the address attracted an audience of 28 million, but by 2000 it had slumped to 9.8m, and last year just 8.7m viewers tuned in.

Broadcast facts

The Queen spent Christmas morning with other members of the Royal Family in a traditional church service at Sandringham, in Norfolk.

She did not use a walking stick, attending the service unaided despite straining a knee ligament on Friday.

After the service, Prince William was surprised when a female spectator ducked under a rope holding back the crowd and hugged him.

Marlene Ponce, 42, gave the prince a block of chocolate and a card saying "We love you" before being led back behind the rope by police.

About 200 people lined the route to greet the royals ahead of the first Christmas service since the death of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.