IN HER ANNUAL Christmas message, Queen Elizabeth II has paid tribute to her “memorable and historic” visit to Ireland in May.

She said the “spirit of friendship so evident” in Ireland can “fill us all with hope”.

Speaking of her trip to Ireland and the US President Barack Obama’s visit to Britain, she said:

Relationships that years ago were once so strained have through sorrow and forgiveness blossomed into longterm friendship.

It is through this lens of history that we should view the conflicts of today.

The pre-recorded broadcast was filmed before the Queen’s husband Philip was taken to hospital with chest pains on Friday. However, in the appropriate message, she spoke of the importance of family and how crises can pull communities together.

Meanwhile, Prince Philip remains in hospital after undergoing heart surgery on Friday night. The 90-year-old husband of the Queen is said to be anxious to leave hospital and rejoin the royal family for the Christmas festivities, reports Sky News.

He has now spent three nights in the Cambridge hospital. Buckingham Palace said he had a “good night” last night but no further details have been made available.

The Guardian reports that the Duke of Edinburgh will be kept under medical observation at Papworth Hospital for at least another two days.

After experiencing chest pains on Friday night, Prince Philip was rushed to hospital where doctors discovered a blocked artery. Minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting was then carried out on the Prince.

In the past two days, the Queen and Philip’s grandchildren, including William, Harry and Zara have all visited the hospital.

The Royal family’s annual St. Stephen’s Day shoot is believed to be going ahead today.