A photograph of the Queen at the recording of the televised speech shows her wearing the same brooch she wore for her honeymoon photoshoot with Prince Philip, and again for their diamond wedding anniversary.
That picture of the couple taken to mark their diamond anniversary, in which they gaze at one another fondly with an air of sharing a private joke, is seen on her desk. Curiously, the brooch appears to be placed on the Queen's opposite side to previous appearances, pinned to her right rather than her left.
A source said the change was a decision on the day, but admirers of the Queen will no doubt speculate it was a reference to the loss of the Duke of Edinburgh, just as some widows swap their wedding rings from left to right.
The speech, a source said, is expected to be "particularly personal" this year, as the Queen prepares to spend her first Christmas as a widow.
Filmed in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle, the Queen is seen wearing an embossed wool shift dress in festive red, by her friend and designer Angela Kelly. The sapphire chrysanthemum brooch was originally given to her during a royal engagement in 1946, when she launched an oil tanker named the British Princess.
She has worn it many times since, from overseas visits to portraits with her children when they were young. Most poignantly, she chose it for a photocall on her 1947 honeymoon in Broadlands, the stately home in Hampshire.
This time, the Queen is seen in full festive mode, with a large Christmas tree sparkling behind her shoulder and warm lamps glowing on the fireplace behind.
The Royal family will not watch the Queen's speech at Sandringham this year, after she called off plans to host them at the Norfolk estate for the second year running owing to coronavirus.
Instead, she will spend the festive period at Windsor Castle. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will visit her on Christmas Day.
The guest list is also expected to include the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their two children.
The Duke of York is expected to join the Christmas festivities at Windsor Castle, while the attendance of his former wife, the Duchess of York, has not been ruled out. Their daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice will also attend if time and coronavirus restrictions allow.
The Princess Royal, who would ordinarily have been at her mother's side, is unable to attend and is isolating after her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence contracted Covid-19. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be spending Christmas in Norfolk, a spokesman confirmed. They will be joined by some members of the Middleton family.
Last year, the Queen used her Christmas broadcast to deliver a heartfelt message of hope to the country, praising the "indomitable spirit" of those who had risen "magnificently" to the challenges of the pandemic.
This year, she is expected to reiterate the theme of unity to thank all those who have helped keep Britain going. It has been a difficult 2021 for the Royal Family, after the Duke of Edinburgh died aged 99 in April, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex laid bare their grievances in an interview with Oprah, and Prince Andrew faced legal action following his strong denial of allegations of sexual assault.
The Queen is likely to mention the new additions to the family, after she welcomed four great-grandchildren.
