Meanwhile, some of the youngest members of the royal family stole the show.
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For the first time ever, Prince George and Princess Charlotte joined the royal Christmas tradition, attending a church service with grandmother Queen Elizabeth II and the family.
Little brother Louis was too young to join in, but an adorable family photo shows dad Prince William planting a kiss on his cheek. The family released the photo on Instagram, wishing their followers a happy and relaxing Christmas day.
The queen's traditional pre-recorded Christmas message was broadcast throughout Britain and the Commonwealth nations Wednesday afternoon. Britain's longest-reigning monarch emphasized the need for forgiveness and reconciliation and admitted it had been a difficult year.
"The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times have felt quite bumpy," she said in her address.
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Her comment about a "bumpy" year was seen as referring both to Britain's laborious exit from the European Union, which is now expected on Jan. 31 after voters gave the pro-Brexit Conservative Party a comfortable majority in Parliament, and to the royal family's difficulties.
The message was recorded before her 98-year-old husband Prince Philip was hospitalized for four days for treatment of a "pre-existing condition" that was not revealed to the public. He was able to join the rest of the family for Christmas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.