used her traditional Christmas speech
to highlight the theme of reconciliation– and also
set Twitter alight with a reference to Games of Thrones. Some 7.8million viewers sat down to watch the monarch speak about her visit to the
Sea of Poppiescommemorating the World War I fallen at the Tower of London.
The sovereign referred to the moment during that war on Christmas Day when soldiers on opposing sides laid down their arms just for a few hours.She said: "As we know, something remarkable did happen that Christmas, exactly a hundred years ago today.Without any instruction or command, the shooting stopped and German and British soldiers met in no man's land. Photographs were taken and gifts exchanged. It was a Christmas truce."
The monarch suggested this could be an example in modern conflicts, drawing parallels with what has taken place in Northern Ireland."The benefits of reconciliation were clear to see when I visited Belfast in June. "While
my tour of the set of Game Of Thronesmay have gained most attention, my visit to the Crumlin Road Gaol will remain vividly in my mind." "What was once a prison during the Troubles is now a place of hope and fresh purpose."
Her speech also focused on the Ebola crisis. The Queen said she was "deeply touched" by those who have travelled to war and disaster zones to help others, including aid workers dealing with the virus and men and women in the armed forces.
