Queen: Commentator discusses placement of brooch
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Queen Elizabeth airs a Christmas message each year on December 25 to the nation to talk about what the country has achieved throughout the year, and her hopes for the new year to come. The tradition began with her grandfather King George V in 1932 who did a radio message. The Queen’s first Christmas message was in 1952, and her first televised message was in 1957.
Royal commentators are always on hand to analyse the Queen’s brooch, the photographs which she has placed on her desk, and her body language during the speech – all of which is said to be symbolic.
On December 23, a photograph of the upcoming Queen’s Speech was released to the media showing the Queen’s dress, brooch, and the photograph she has chosen for her desk.
The monarch’s desk features just a single framed photograph of Prince Philip as a poignant reminder of her husband of 73 years.
She famously once described Philip as “her strength and stay”.
The photograph is particularly tender as this year marks the first Christmas alone for the Queen, following the death of Prince Philip in April.
It was taken in 2007 at Broadlands country house, Hampshire, showing the couple together on their diamond wedding anniversary.
Queen Elizabeth is wearing a bright red dress in today’s Christmas speech designed by British designer Angela Kelly.
She also accessorised with a sapphire chrysanthemum brooch which Elizabeth famously wore on her honeymoon with Philip.
The Queen also wore this brooch for her anniversary photograph with Philip.
Quite poignantly, the Queen is wearing her brooch on her right side for today’s speech, however in the photographs she is wearing the brooch on her left.
Some royal commentators have likened this to when widows sometimes wear their wedding ring on their right hand as opposed to their left.
Body language expert Judi James spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about the Queen’s Speech and what signals the monarch is trying to reveal to Britain.
Judi said: “Has the Queen’s projected, visual impact and messaging ever been quite as important as it has this year?
“Her most iconic image to date for 2021 has been the tragic one of her sitting alone and hunched, dressed in top to toe black at her husband’s funeral.
“For her Christmas message though she thankfully and probably deliberately presents a very different image.
“She is dressed in simple but stunning red to signal love, renewal, warmth and strong emotion and with the brooch she wore on her honeymoon and then again in more recent photos with Philip pinned alongside her signature pearls.
“Sitting front-on to the camera she meets it with an upright pose, immaculate grooming and an uncompromising and strong-looking stare.
“Behind her, despite the fact that, like many of us, she will be missing seeing her usual relatives this year, there is a bank of warm golden lights in what looks like a happily decorated Christmas room.
“This look signals continuity, resilience and even defiance and, thanks to Covid, it is as usual perfectly pitched in terms of motivating the public to get through the next few months.
“While our politicians appear on our screens looking apologetic and dishevelled with accusations of rule-breaking diminishing their credibility, the Queen is now showing as the beacon of solid determination, despite a year of grief, illness and her ongoing family rifts.”
The “rule-breaking” refers to the alleged Christmas party which took place on December 17, 2020 with Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, who reportedly attended with a team of his officials.
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