the meaningful good evening. the headlines: the queen pays tribute to what she calls "unsung heroes" — such as carers and volunteers — in her christmas message. i often draw strength from meeting ordinary people doing extraordinary things — volunteers, carers, community organisers and good neighbours — unsung heroes whose quiet dedication makes them special. the queen missed the christmas day church service at sandringham, as she has a heavy cold. the duke of edinburgh and other royals were at holy communion on the norfolk estate. meanwhile, in berkshire, the duke and duchess of cambridge are spending christmas with kate's family, the middletons. president putin has declared a national day of mourning in russia tomorrow — after a military plane crashed, killing all 92 people on board. the transport minister says its considering all possible causes, including a terror attack. an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 has struck off the coast of southern chile. the county's national emergency office has ordered the evacuation

of some coastal areas. this year the queen celebrated her 90th birthday. daniela relph looks back on the momentous occasion and other events in the royal calendar in review 2016: the royal year. brass band plays ‘happy birthday'. it was the year of a big birthday. the queen at 90. for some of her grandchildren

and great—grandchildren, a trip to canada. the first official overseas visit for the family of four. the duke and duchess of cambridge were also in india. a reminder of royal visits past. and for prince harry, a new relationship highlighted the tricky balance between a private and public life. when you're the queen, you get two birthdays. the real one and the official one. april the 21st was the queen's actual 90th birthday, and she celebrated in windsor. there was of course a cake, baked by nadiya hussain, the winner of the great british bake off. and a meeting with fellow 90—year—olds. 0h, an amazing day, yes.

i never really imagined that i'd meet her. i never imagined i'd be 90, let's face it! she was in the bombing of london, so was i. she was evacuated, so was i. and then she was called up, and so was i. this was a birthday celebration, but also a public thank you for her years of service. in the evening, the queen lit a beacon in windsor great park, and listened to a tribute from her son and heir. your majesty, mummy... laughter. i find it very hard to believe that you've reached your 90th year. the beacon will also represent, as it lights other beacons across the nation, the love and affection in which you are held throughout this country and the commonwealth.

events here in windsor were just the start. once the real birthday was over, attention moved to the official birthday celebrations in june. they began with a national service of thanksgiving at st paul's cathedral. it was also the duke of edinburgh's 95th birthday. next came trooping the colour, with a birthday twist. your majesty, this year, on behalf of all ranks of the household division and the king's troop royal horse artillery, may i wish you and his royal highness the very happiest of birthdays. your majesty's guards are ready to march off now. and then an unmissable queen with her family.

it was a first balcony appearance for princess charlotte. and a scene—stealing turn from prince george. the british summer, though, can never be relied upon. the following day, torrential rain for the patrons lunch. an early peek out of a palace window hadn't looked too promising. thousands came to the mall for this street party, representing the organisations of which the queen is patron. they paid £150 each for the privilege of picnicking in the rain. well, i think this is typically english, isn't it? it's important to have a queue and some rain and a picnic hamper, and a palace. and everybody‘s veryjolly, everybody is looking forward to it so much. we're out for the day, and we hope we can have a good day. rain and all. the atmosphere with everybody coming in, it's been lovely so far. it's raining hard, but nobody minds. we're all here to sort of try and enjoy it together.

but when the royal family emerged from buckingham palace, it had cleared up. this perhaps the most comprehensive royal walkabout ever seen. almost every senior royal out on the mall. then, at 90 and 95 years old, the most senior of them all. and it was soon clear they were keen to get on with things. a parade offered reminders of the queen's reign, including a model of the royal yacht britannia. as the birthday celebrations drew to a close, the last word went to the queen herself. to everyone here today, and to those holding street parties elsewhere, i would like to say thank you for the wonderful support and encouragement that you continue to give to me. how i will feel if people are still singing happy

birthday in december remains to be seen! laughter. there are, though, always those visitors who make their presence felt. now, this room is full of mirrors. where do you want to sit? 0n theirfinal trip to the uk as president and first lady, the 0bamas popped in to wish the queen a happy 90th. they also had dinner and kensington palace with the duke and duchess of cambridge and prince harry, where there was a bedtime visit from prince george. back home in washington, the president reflected on that particular royal engagement. last week, prince george showed up to our meeting in his bath robe! laughter. that was a slap in the face! laughter a clear breach of protocol.

the 90th birthday saw a number of new photos of the queen, including these for a collection of stamps. the monarch and her three heirs. there were other family portraits — the cambridges on a skiing holiday in the french alps. the first time the children had played in snow. at the beginning of the year, prince george started nursery — a montessori near the family's norfolk home. these photos were taken by his mother. as were these — pictures to mark princess charlotte's first birthday in may. and new images were also released when prince george turned three injuly. they included one with the family dog, lupo. it was the year where we saw a bit more of the younger royals. a first official overseas visit for prince george and princess charlotte. the arrival in canada appeared a bit

bewildering for the young prince. not even the canadian prime minister could persuade a tired three—year—old to high—five, or even handshake. in this bilingual country, where prince william will one day be king, there was a chance to try out his french. nous sommes tres heureux d'etre de retour au canada. nous vous remercions d?etre venus en si grand nombre beaute de ce pays magnifique. phew! cheering. the canada trip took in some of the wild beauty of the country, particularly in the yukon territory. the couple heard of the struggle for equality still faced by some of canada's indigenous people. there was, though, also time with their children. for george and charlotte, a party with all the trappings, shared with military families at government house in victoria.

the entertainer who was balloon modelling seemed to spark a little sibling rivalry. as the duke and duchess continue to protect the children's privacy, it was a rare chance to see george and charlotte in a more informal setting. namaste. for a trip to india earlier in the year, the children were left behind in the uk. here, the duke and duchess saw the extremes of life in modern india — from visits to the slum areas, where they heard about the hardship of daily life, to the glamour and glitz of bollywood, and dinner with showbiz stars and business leaders. a chance to exert the soft power of royalty. they also visited one of the most remote areas of the indian subcontinent, the himalayan kingdom of bhutan. here they met the king and queen, a royal couple of similar age. and hand—in—hand climbed 3000 feet to the tiger's nest, a i7th—century buddhist monastery.

how are you finding the climb? it's beautiful. easy! barely breaking a sweat, it seemed. perhaps the most poignant image of the trip came here, at the taj mahal. in february 1992, it was diana, princess of wales, who sat alone, seemingly forlorn at this monument to love. her marriage to prince charles was in crisis. not the best of associations for the son. by 2a years later, the duke and duchess had their own taj mahal moment. so, what has the visit here today meant to you? a beautiful place. stunning design, amazing. although there was no mention of his mother, it was the duke's chance to create some happier memories here. at home, the duke and duchess of cambridge and prince harry continued to focus much

of their time on the subject of mental health. they say they want to change the national conversation, and end the stigma that still surrounds the issue. it is now at the centre of their charity work. in may, they launched heads together — a partnership of different charities all working to provide the best support possible. a number of runners will take on next year's london marathon to raise money for heads together. in a video to promote the work of the new partnership, the royal patrons explained its importance. mental health is just as important as physical health. we can all play our part, by talking and listening to each other and helping each other find support. let's get our heads together and change the conversation about mental health. it was also the subject that saw

the duke of cambridge meet members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and tra nsgender community, brought together by the gay lifestyle magazine attitude. a meeting that ended with the duke being on the cover of the magazine's july edition. in may, there was a rare insight into the queen's personal opinion. a wet garden party at buckingham palace, and a conversation about the chinese state visit a few months earlier. can i present commander lucy d'0rsi, gold commander at the chinese state visit. 0h, bad luck! after that response, there was further discussion. the queen's ability to usually stay out of the political fray publicly

is well—established. but even she couldn't quite escape the intensity that surrounded the eu referendum campaign. an article in the sun newspaper claimed, "queen backs brexit". buckingham palace called the story spurious, and made a complaint to the independent press standards 0rganisation. a few months later, after the vote to leave the eu, the queen was welcoming a new prime minister to buckingham palace. theresa may, the 13th prime minister of her reign. the breathtaking beauty of the giant's causeway. a trip to northern ireland was the queen's first official engagement post—brexit. these were uncertain times, even for a monarchy that had reigned for more than 60 years. but there were also reminders of past visits to northern ireland. the queen retraced a train journey she'd last done immediately after her coronation.

she also met politicians, and had this memorable exchange with the deputy first minister, martin mcguinness. hello. are you well? thank you very much. oh, i'm stillalive, anyway! nice to see you again. ha, we've been quite busy. yeah. there's been quite a lot going on. there's a lot of things happening at the moment. yes. absolutely. i've had two birthdays, so we've been quite busy. from here at clarence house, the prince of wales and duchess of cornwall have continued to support or represent the queen on a number of engagements. perhaps one of the most moving events of the year for the prince — his visit to aberfan to remember those who died 50 years ago. the cemetery high on the hillside, a constant reminder of the devastation that hit aberfan in 1966. 144 people died when coal waste slid down the mountainside, engulfing the local primary school. where classrooms had once stood,

the prince of wales planted a tree. a tribute to a lost generation. no one should have to bear the losses you've suffered. but no one could have borne those losses with greater strength or greater courage. in poundbury in dorset, a family day out. in october, the prince of wales took his mother and father to see the development, his personal project for the past 20 years. the tour included a rare sighting of the queen in a supermarket. here, being shown around the local waitrose. there was also a trip to 0man, bahrain and the united arab emirates, aimed at strengthening relationships with the uk. helped along by a ceremonial sword dance in oman. the duchess of cornwall has continued her work on literacy. this year, helping radio 2's writing

competition for children. how are you? very well, nice to meet you. a visit to chris evans‘ breakfast show involved an encounter with the actor tom hiddleston. she told him her sunday nights hadn't been the same since the end of the night manager, in which he starred. it was brilliant. thank you so much. everybody sat gripped. good. she's also campaigned on the issue of domestic abuse. at a clarence house reception, she spoke of the anguish victims face, describing it as a hidden problem where many remain too scared to speak out. this silence is corrosive. it leaves women, children and men carrying a burden of shame. it prevents some from speaking out about the abuse, and it prevents them from getting help. and at its worst, it can be fatal.

prince harry's visit to nepal this year became an extended royal tour. he was due to be in the country for five days, but stayed on, having seen the impact of the 2015 earthquake, in which 9,000 people were killed. he helped rebuild a school destroyed by the quake in a remote nepalese village. morning, everyone. later in the year, a tour of the caribbean saw a meeting with a pop star. she's going to ask me all sorts of questions. when harry met rihanna. here using royal and celebrity status to raise awareness of hiv aids. both being tested to show how quick and straightforward the process can be. wejust did it in the middle of harold square here in barbados. and we just want to show people how easy it is to get tested,

and how you shouldn't be afraid of knowing your status, most importantly. we should all be afraid of the stigma, and you should be afraid of not knowing, you should be afraid of not talking about it. and we get it, there is a generational gap here. and we need to smash through that. the younger generation coming through want to talk about it, but there's still that stigma. so if us getting tested normalises it and makes a difference, just even a small difference, thenjob well done. these are some of the individuals... the invictus games remain one of prince harry's real passions. even enlisting his granny in a bit of banter with some american rivals ahead of the 2016 games in florida. message. 0h, from michelle. how very amusing. shall we watch it together? yes. let's have a look. hey, prince harry. remember when you told us to bring it at the invictus games? careful what you wish for. oh, really, please.

boom. the games were prince harry's idea. held in orlando this year, the sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick service men and women. swimmer elizabeth marks won gold, but handed her medal back to prince harry. she asked him to give it to papworth hospital in cambridgeshire, where she previously had a life—saving operation. this isjust a huge, huge thank you to all of you. the following month, prince harry did as he was told, handing the medal over to the staff from papworth. thank you, well done. there was also a trip to toronto, and a meeting with the canadian prime minister ahead of the next invictus games, due to be held in the city in september. it was to be an important visit for the prince. it's believed while here he met meghan markle, an american actress working in toronto filming the us tv show suits.

we're going to look at privacy and harassment law, let's see if we can find a combination of cases to make an argument. i'll take privacy. he's been in a relationship with miss markle for several months, who, as well as her acting career, shares the prince's interest in campaigning. i am proud to be a woman, and a feminist. but the media coverage of the relationship has angered harry, causing him to issue an unusual personal statement in november. released on his behalf by kensington palace, he said his girlfriend had been exposed to a wave of abuse and harassment. it said... it was a statement that immediately highlighted the seriousness of this new relationship. and prince harry's desire to do all he can to shield meghan markle from the perils

of being a royal girlfriend. for a 95—year—old duke of edinburgh, there were still royal engagements to do. from opening a new bike factory, to visiting london's new design museum, where he saw more than 100 of the most popular everyday designs nominated by members of the public. this was also the year that he celebrated the 60th anniversary of the duke of edinburgh award scheme, including ajames bond—themed gala dinner. 60 years on, the awards are still about gaining new skills and pushing personal boundaries. at 95, the rigours of the duke of edinburgh scheme may be a challenge, but not for some younger royals. brass band plays to mark the 60th anniversary, the countess of wessex cycled 41m miles from edinburgh to london over seven days. her arrival at buckingham palace was much anticipated by her family — her husband, the earl of wessex,

and children, louise and james, who didn't want to let go of his mum after her efforts of the previous week. i actually feel amazingly well. i didn't think, oh, six months ago, before i thought i was probably going to wobble my way across the end line there. but if you told me that i'd feel like this after 6.5 days of cycling, i would never have believed you. but i feel fantastic. looking ahead to next year, and the queen will face a common problem — a house refurbishment on a major scale. the house in question is here, buckingham palace. and the work is likely to cost the taxpayer about £369 million. 0n first impressions, it's a grand royal palace, home to the queen, and the venue for glittering state occasions. but royal officials say that behind the scenes, the reality is different.

the wiring, the pipework and the boilers haven't been touched for 60 years. they say the work is essential to avoid a catastrophe of what they describe as a cherished national asset. the work is due to start in april, and is scheduled to last for an astonishing ten years. so much of the queen's life has been lived publicly. but a bbc documentary to mark her birthday was an intimate portrait. with her eldest son, she watched family films of her childhood, and remembered a time before she was queen. laughter did you remember what that one was called? glenn, or somebody. 0h. i was very busy. emptying them and putting everything back in again? yes.

well, hopefully some of it doesn't go back in again. where is this, again? i think that's london. it must be, mustn't it? oops! extremely painful! and then do it again? next year, the queen will welcome her sixth great—grandchild, with a new baby for zara phillips and mike tindall. and there'll be another anniversary. in 1947, princess elizabeth married philip mountbatten. in 2017, as the queen and the duke of edinburgh, they will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary. for the queen, there are so many milestones to mark. personally, she may not have wanted too much fuss. but 2016 was the year britain celebrated its longest reigning monarch turning 90. now it will be sending colder air in

oui’ now it will be sending colder air in our direction. you can see some snow across parts of scotland, mostly in the hills but i would not be surprised if it turns to sleep through the lowlands of scotland. temperatures around freezing. in the south, still mild tonight, 7 degrees but a lovely day on the way for most of us on boxing day. not the case in the far north of scotland, storm conor still driving the weather, sending fierce wind into the far north of scotland, storm force winds with gusts of 80 mph and warnings from the met office and more blustery, wintry showers but by the time you get to the north of england, into wales and down south, a completely different story, a lovely boxing day with some sunshine, and then the wind rapidly increasing as you get into the pennines, still very gusty in the pennines. very breezy and parts of northern ireland, gales buffeting western coasts with lots of showers and strong wind for 0rkney and shetland. possible gusts of 80 mph.

for most of us, boxing day is looking nice and sunny. however, fog could be a problem in the coming days, rather than low—pressure, rapidly big air of high pressure building up, around 1040 millibars 01’ more. building up, around 1040 millibars or more. that means that first thing in the morning on tuesday, particularly when they could be misty and murky with frost in a few areas and temperatures lower on tuesday, leading to a clear night. high pressure again on wednesday so wednesday morning could be quite foggy in a few places and frosty across england and wales. not in the far north—west. we have more of a breeze, stornoway, 10 degrees. 0ne 01’ breeze, stornoway, 10 degrees. 0ne or two areas could struggle if the fog persists, it could only be about three or 4 degrees so take it steady if you are travelling between christmas and new year, particularly around the country lanes. i often draw strength from eating ordinary people doing extraordinary things. volunteers, carers, community organisers, and good neighbours. but she is forced to

miss the christmas day church service in sandringham because of a heavy cold. president putin declares a day of mourning in russia tomorrow after a military plane crashes, killing all 92 people on board. chile lifts a tsunami alert after a powerful earthquake strikes off the coast. also in the next hour, in his christmas day sermon, the archbishop of canterbury said the last year has left the world awash with division and fear. pope francis calls for a