With a business-like tappity-tap of her new walking stick on the ancient stone floor of Westminster Abbey, the Queen joined a packed congregation that rose in her honour and needed no reminding of her appetite for work.
Resplendent in royal blue, the 95-year-old monarch was attending a service for ex-armed forces personnel and the poignancy was not lost on anyone. Her own former naval officer husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, died in April after a long, extraordinary life, and the world wondered how Her Majesty would cope without the man she’d depended on for so long.
This Christmas will be her first without Philip for over 70 years, but the Queen is in no mood for solemnity. Everyone who has observed her since she emerged from a relatively brief period of mourning has been astounded by her resolve to carry on with her duties. She has received world leaders, helicoptered onto warships, celebrated another landmark birthday and been a regular at the races.
“There was never any serious suggestion she would do a Queen Victoria and withdraw from the world,” says royal author Hugo Vickers. “But it’s remarkable to see her picking up exactly where she left off.”
An admirer of tradition, the Queen is particularly keen to resume her annual Christmas gathering at her Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where the extended royal family comes together for the kind of grand celebration she remembers from her own childhood.
Bu hikaye Australian Women’s Weekly NZ dergisinin December 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Australian Women’s Weekly NZ dergisinin December 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Spotlight on Vitamin D
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but safe sun exposure is still essential.
Coming up roses
Driven by a renewed interest in the flower’s power, a rose renaissance is dawning.
'I was given a 5% chance of survival'
When Caroline Laner Breure was hit by a car in an horrific accident on a Spanish holiday with her boyfriend, her body and her dreams were shattered. Somehow she found the will to go on living.
Time to celebrate our mothers
Author Kathy Lette gives a heartfelt thank you to her magnificent mum, Val - a baker of fairy cakes with the patience of a saint.
"I am lucky to be here" ”
Since the day she walked onto the MasterChef Australia set back in 2009, Julie Goodwin has openly shared her life. But in writing a memoir, she had to examine the demons she'd battled privately... until now.
JAMIE OLIVER at your service
Returning to the set of MasterChef Australia to help steer a path through grief and spread happiness, the celebrity chef is also at a turning point - he opens up about failure, love, second chances and his endless reservoir of joie de vivre.
From one mum to another
Princess Catherine's public announcement struck a chord with mum-of-two Jane Gillard. She shares her story of parenting through cancer- and offers hope for the princess and mums navigating their own health journey while raising primary-aged kids.
The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"
It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
When Tracy Hall fell for Max Tavita, she fell for a mirage. Max was a false identity created by a con man, and Tracy was the latest in a long line of women whose life savings hed stolen.
Amother's GIFT
In December last year, Australia’s first uterus transplant recipient, Kirsty Bryant, gave birth to Henry, a happy, healthy baby boy. The uterus that had made this little miracle possible had been donated by her mother, Michelle. Five months later, their first Mother’s Day since Henry’s birth feels especially precious.