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Queen Elizabeth II talks of her own faith in millennium message

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December 26, 2000 

LONDON--(UNB/AP) - Queen Elizabeth II spoke of the continuing importance of spirituality and of her accountability before God in a personal Christmas message Monday.

In the broadcast, which began with a video chronicle of her year in public, she spoke in rare personal terms about her Christian belief and sense of spirituality.

"To many of us our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life," she told a television, radio and internet audience. "I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example."

The message, filmed inside Buckingham Palace on Friday and aired on the palace Web site for the first time, began with her watching a two-minute video montage illustrating her year in public, but focused on a religious theme.

"As this year draws to a close I would like to reflect more directly and more personally on what lies behind all the celebrations of these past 12 months.

"Christmas is the traditional, if not the actual, birthday of a man who was destined to change the course of our history," she said. "And today we are celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ was born 2000 years ago; this the true Millennium anniversary."

Many will have been inspired by Jesus' simple but powerful teaching to "treat others as you would like them to treat you," she said.

It was primarily a Christian message but the queen mentioned the teachings of other great faiths and recognized that some people did not believe in God.

The queen called 2000 an unforgettable year. Video Highlights featured film of her October visit to the Vatican, the knighting of actor Sean Connery, U.S. President Bill Clinton's visit to the palace and the Queen Mother Elizabeth's 100th birthday celebrations.

Prince William, the 18-year-old eldest son of heir to the throne Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, was shown chopping wood in Chile, where he is working for a humanitarian organization.