The Queen will say she has been 'deeply touched' by the 'selflessness' of medical staff fighting Ebola in her traditional Christmas message, and will pay tribute to the Tower of London poppies.
The UK is one of a number of nations that has seen its doctors and nurses volunteer to help countries such as Sierra Leone in West Africa combat the epidemic.
Today, in her annual address to the nation, the Queen will praise medics fighting the epidemic, as well as those working to provide humanitarian relief in warzones.
Queen's speech: The Queen will say she has been 'deeply touched' by the 'selflessness' of medical staff fighting Ebola in her traditional Christmas message, as she pays tribute to the Tower of London poppies
The theme of this year's speech, which comes after a busy year for the Royal Family, is reconciliation.
d the head of state will tell viewers: 'I have been deeply touched this year by the selflessness of aid workers and medical volunteers who have gone abroad to help victims of conflict or of diseases like Ebola, often at great personal risk.'
The Queen will also discuss the ceramic poppy display at the Tower of London, just one of the major events staged this year to commemorate those who died in the First World War, which began 100 years ago.
Poignant: The Queen will also discuss the ceramic poppy display at the Tower of London, describing how she felt while walking through the installation. 'For every poppy, a life; and a reminder of the grief of loved ones left behind,' she says
Some 888,246 poppies were planted in the moat at the Tower, one for each British and Colonial death during the conflict.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Blood Swept Lands And Seas Of Red in October, and walked through the art installation created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins.
'The ceramic poppies at the Tower of London drew millions, and the only possible reaction to walking among them was silence,' she says, in the speech to be broadcast at 3pm today.
'For every poppy, a life; and a reminder of the grief of loved ones left behind.'
Dressed in a purple dress by Angela Kelly with a diamond and pearl brooch inherited from her grandmother, Queen Mary, the Queen recorded her Christmas message seated next to a table featuring separate photographs of her grandparents George V and Queen Mary and an embossed brass box.
Survivor: Channel 4's alternative speech will also focus on the Ebola outbreak, with British survivor William Pooley (pictured) delivering a message
The box was a Christmas Day gift for those serving overseas in the First World War during 1914, and was organised by the Sailors & Soldiers Christmas Fund created by Princess Mary, George’s daughter. It was filled with a variety of gifts, from tobacco for smokers to chocolate for nurses.
The Christmas address is written by the Queen herself and usually has a strong religious framework, as she reflects current issues and draws on her own experiences over the past year.
Her speech is one of the rare occasions when she does not turn to the Government for advice but is able to voice her own views.
The Queen’s traditional message was produced this year by the BBC and recorded in Buckingham Palace’s state dining room, using 4K ultra-high-definition digital TV cameras.
As well as being transmitted on both television and radio, the speech will also be shown on the Royal Channel on YouTube, and in Commonwealth countries.
Channel 4's alternative speech will also focus on the Ebola outbreak, with British survivor William Pooley delivering a message from the Connaught Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The 29-year-old nurse, who famously returned to work in Sierra Leone after recovering in London from the deadly virus, will follow in the footsteps of US whistleblower Edward Snowden and celebrities Sharon Osbourne and Ali G by delivering the broadcaster's Alternative Christmas Message.
Source: the Mail
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