Royal Family Attends Christmas Services With Meghan Markle
LONDON (CBSNewYork) - The royal family attended Christmas services this morning at Sandringham, the Queen's country estate.
Prince Harry's Fiancee Meghan Markle was there.
Fiancees are generally not invited, but this year Queen Elizabeth made an exception.
It's a day for family, with it's own established pattern, reported Nicolas Witchell.
For the royal family, that means a visit to church led by the Queen.
Markle was alert to everything that was going on, and waiting for he cue in terms of royal protocol: A neat curtsy as the Queen left by car.
She then walked across to speak to members of the crowd who'd been hoping to meet her before lunch, and then the Queen's Christmas broadcast.
The central message of this year's broadcast was one of solidarity with two British cities.
"This Christmas, I think of London and Manchester, whose powerful identities shown through over the past 12 months in the face of appalling attacks," she said.
The Queen said it had been a privilege to witness the extraordinary bravery of young people injured in the Manchester attack.
More than six decades now after she came to the throne, the Quens remains strongly committed to her role as head of state, Witchell reported.
Last year, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip missed the church service because they had the flu.
This year, royal observers say the 91-year-old Queen and her 96-year-old husband appeared to be in good health.