Queen Elizabeth Pays Tribute to Prince Philip With Christmas Brooch

Queen Elizabeth II is paying tribute to her late husband, Prince Philip, this Christmas.

In a first look at the Queen's Christmas Day speech, the 95-year-old monarch was seen wearing the sapphire chrysanthemum brooch that she wore for a photocall on her honeymoon in 1947. The queen pinned the piercing blue broach to a bright red dress, which she is seen wearing to commemorate this season's festivities.

While this will be the queen's 69th Christmas Day broadcast, it will mark the first holiday season she's spent without her husband of 73 years, who died at the age of 99 in April. 

The queen has worn the brooch to mark other special occasions in their marriage, including the couple's diamond wedding anniversary in 2007, where she wore it pinned to a pale blue dress during their visit to the Broadlands, and again for their 70th wedding anniversary in 2017.

In addition to honoring Philip with the brooch, the queen also displayed a photo of her and the late prince on her desk in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, where she will be celebrating the holidays. While she has traditionally included several family photos on her desk during her annual speech, this year, the photo of the couple stands alone.

While the queen's yearly speech will be broadcasted across the United Kingdom, those who are not based in the U.K. will be able to stream her address on the royal family’s YouTube page.

As for the queen's Christmas plans, despite concerns that she would remain in isolation after canceling her family's pre-Christmas lunch as a "precautionary" decision in light of the rising highly transmissible COVID-19 omicron variant, a Palace source told ET Thursday that Prince Charles and Camilla "will be joining Her Majesty for Christmas at Windsor." 

ET has also learned that Prince Edward and Sophie, their children, Lady Louise and Viscount James, and Prince Andrew's family -- who live near Windsor Castle -- expect to see the queen during the Christmas holiday.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are scheduled to stay at Anmer Hall, located on the Sandringham Estate, with 8-year-old Prince George, 6-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 3-year-old Prince Louis. They have spent years past with Kate’s parents in Bucklebury Berkshire, near Windsor Castle. A final announcement has not been made regarding the Cambridges' plans. A source close to the family told ET "details are still being worked out how the move to Windsor Castle will adjust Christmas plans."

This is the second year in a row that the queen has decided to celebrate the holidays at home in Windsor. The news comes a day after it was revealed that the queen's daughter, Princess Anne, has been forced to isolate after her husband, Timothy Laurence, tested positive for COVID. 

Her Majesty has scaled back several engagements due to a variety of health reasons in recent months, and while she has since resumed some of her duties, many of them have been virtual and she has scaled back some of her scheduled appearances to maintain her health.

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