Queen Salutes Her Troops

Queen Elizabeth II paid tribute Thursday to British troops who took part in the U.S.-led war in Iraq and spoke of her "deep sense of respect and admiration" for their work.

In her annual Christmas message to the nation, the queen said the teamwork of Britain's armed forces was admirable and a "lesson to us all."

"I had an opportunity recently at the barracks to meet some of those who played their part with such distinction in the Iraq operations," she said, in a message prerecorded at Combermere Barracks, home of the Household Cavalry and next to her Windsor Castle residence.
"I was left with a deep sense of respect and admiration for their steadfast loyalty to each other and to our nation," she added.

Wearing a royal blue dress and a pearl necklace, the queen was shown chatting with troops who took part in the campaign to topple Saddam Hussein.

"I think we all have very good reasons for feeling proud of their achievements, both in war, and as they help to build a lasting peace in trouble spots across the globe," said the queen, who stood before an armored fighting vehicle to deliver much of the 10-minute address.

It was the first time the annual message was filmed entirely on location, away from a royal residence. The broadcast also included footage of British troops in Afghanistan and Kosovo, as well as clips of troops on board the aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal.

Earlier in the day, the queen, 77, attended a Christmas Day church service with other members of the royal family on the royal Sandringham estate, showing signs of an operation she underwent earlier this month to remove torn cartilage from her knee.

She used a walking stick as she strolled from her car to St. Mary Magdalene Church on the royal estate — with a bandage visible on her left knee — watched by a crowd of about 500 people.

The queen's televised Christmas Day address used to be a holiday fixture for many British families, but domestic viewing has fallen from 30 million to about 10 million.

This year, the speech is also available on the Internet and on a special telephone hotline. Listeners around the world can hear the speech by dialing 011-44 871 271 3100.