The Queen praises the resilience of people in the UK and around the world in her annual Christmas speech

The Queen praised the resilience of people in the UK and around the world during a year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic. In her Christmas message recorded at Windsor Castle she said even in the darkest times – there was till the prospect of hope.

Plus ambassadors from all 27 European countries have gathered in Brussels to be briefed on the  post-Brexit trade deal with the UK.

An extra 800 military personnel have been deployed to help thousands of lorry drivers who are stranded in Kent, waiting to cross into France.

And the choir of Notre-Dame has sung inside the medieval Paris cathedral for the first time since it was nearly destroyed by a fire. A small group of choristers took part in a special Christmas Eve concert broadcast on French television.