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The Queen has used her Christmas Day address to speak of light triumphing over the dark in a year that has seen "moments of darkness".

It comes after a year which has seen a number of terror attacks, including mass shootings in Paris and the killing of 39 people at a Tunisian resort.

During the broadcast, the Queen acknowledged the birth of Princess Charlotte, her fifth great-grandchild.

She also made a light-hearted reference to her forthcoming 90th birthday.

Reflecting on the past year, the Queen described the festive period as "a time to remember all that we have to be thankful for".

Sitting at a desk in Buckingham Palace's 18th Century Room, she said: "It is true that the world has had to confront moments of darkness this year, but the Gospel of John contains a verse of great hope, often read at Christmas carol services: 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."