The Queen is reportedly struggling to write her Christmas speech after such a 'tough year'

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2019 has undoubtedly been a difficult year for the Royal Family, with the Mountbatten-Windsors making non-stop headline news this year.

From the rumoured royal feud between the Fab Four and Harry and Meghan's legal action against the press to the huge (and recent) Prince Andrew scandal, seeing the Duke step down from royal duties, there has been a lot of controversy.

Someone who has felt the full force of a year full of drama is the family's figurehead, the Queen, who has reportedly been on damage control as well as holding the family together.

Her annual Christmas speech is reportedly a source of stress however, with the monarch expected as always to reflect upon the year that has been in a televised broadcast on Christmas Day.

It's hard to talk about the family highlights when 2019 has undoubtedly been the Queen's most difficult year since her 'annus horribilis' in 1992, seeing both Prince Charles and Princess Anne divorce from their spouses.

According to Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl, the Queen as a result is struggling to know what to say.

'It’s still at a first-draft stage because of the election, but it probably hasn’t been the easiest speech to write,' a source told the expert. 'It has been a very difficult time behind the scenes, and morale is at a bit of a low.'

We wouldn't want the job of writing this year's Christmas speech.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.