To see British and Russian veterans standing together, in memory of the sacrifices of their comrades-in-arms, was a moving experience.
In 1994 The Queen and other members of the Royal Family travelled to Northern France to mark the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The year also saw the first ever State Visit to Russia, during which The Queen and Prince Philip were guests of President Yeltsin. The Queen's Christmas Broadcast in 1994 reflected on past and present peace efforts.
I shall never forget the events in Normandy last June, when the representatives of the wartime allies commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the D-Day landings.
We who were there, and millions of others through television and radio, paid fitting tribute to the courage of those who took part in that epic campaign.
As Prince Philip and I stood watching the British veterans march past on the beach at Arromanches, my own memories of 1944 were stirred - of how it was to wait anxiously for news of friends and relations engaged in that massive and hazardous operation; of the subsequent ebb and flow of the battles in France and then in Germany itself; and of the gradual realisation that the war really was at least coming to an end.
Since those D-Day commemorations, Prince Philip and I have been to Russia. While we were in St. Petersburg, we had the opportunity to honour the millions of patriotic Russians who died fighting the common enemy.
I never thought it would be possible in my lifetime to join with the Patriarch of Moscow and his congregation in a service in that wonderful cathedral in the heart of the Moscow Kremlin.
This Christmas, as we pray for peace at home and abroad - not least in Russia itself - we can also give thanks that such cathedrals and churches will be full and that the great bells, which greeted us, will be ringing out to celebrate our Saviour's birth.
We are frequently reminded, of course, that violence and hatred are still all too much in evidence. We can take some comfort, however, from the fact that more people throughout the world, year by year, have real hope of their children growing up in peace and free from fear.
Last Christmas we were witnessing the signs of a new dawn after the long bitterness, and this year these signs have become steadily stronger. If that new dawn is to be a real and not a false one, courage, patience and faith will be sorely needed - those same qualities which kept the flame of hope alive in the war-torn countries of Europe and the Far East in the dark days of the last war.
Christ taught us to love our enemies and to do good to them that hate us. It is a hard lesson to learn, but this year we have seen shining examples of that generosity of spirit which alone can banish division and prejudice.
In Northern Ireland, peace is gradually taking root; a fully democratic South Africa has been welcomed back into the Commonwealth; and, in the Middle East, long-standing enmities are healing.
What is it that makes people turn from violence, and try to bring peace to their community? Most of all, I believe, it is their determination to bring reality to their hopes of a better world for their children.
The sight of the happy faces of children and young people in Russia, in South Africa, where so much has changed with such extraordinary speed in the last year, and in Northern Ireland, where there is real hope of a permanent end to the bitterness of recent years, should be enough to convince even the most hard-hearted that peace is worth striving for.
Next year, we shall commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The celebrations will no doubt be spectacular, and I hope we all enjoy them. But we can also, each in our own way, ensure that they leave a lasting mark in history.
If we resolve to be considerate and to help our neighbours; to make friends with people of different races and religions; and, as our Lord said, to look to our own faults before we criticise others, we will be keeping faith with those who landed in Normandy and fought so doggedly for their belief in freedom, peace and human decency.
The poet Siegfried Sassoon, amidst all the horrors of war, still found himself able to write these words:-
"Everyone's voice was suddenly lifted
And beauty came like the setting sun."
If he could see the beauty from the trenches of Flanders surely we can look for it in our own lives, this Christmas and in the coming year.
Happy Christmas and God bless you.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visit Northern Ireland
Canadians have, by their own endeavours, built a country and society which is widely-admired across the world.
A speech by The Queen in Nova Scotia, 2010
The Queen and the Royal Family attend the Patron's Lunch
What is The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy?
I pay tribute to the commitment, selfless devotion and generosity-of-spirit shown by the hundreds of charities and voluntary organisations represented here today.
A speech by The Queen at the Patron's Lunch on The Mall
Prince Philip and I have been shocked by the events in Orlando. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected.
A message from The Queen to President Obama following shocking events in Orlando.
Launch of the Commonwealth Hub
The Queen opens Cardiff University's Brain Research Imaging Centre
The Assembly can be proud of the way it has engaged with a broad audience across Wales and beyond
A speech by The Queen at the opening of the Fifth Session of the National Assembly for Wales
The Queen visits the Honourable Artillery Company
The Royal Regiment of Artillery has since 1716 proudly served the Nation all over the World and I wish all Gunners every success and good fortune in the future
A speech by The Queen at the Royal Artillery Tercentenary Parade on 26th May, 2016
The Duke of Lancaster's Regimental Memorial dedication
The Queen's Medal for Music 2015
Addresses from Parliament on the occasion of Her Majesty's 90th birthday
Appointments of Knights Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter
The Queen visits Berkhamsted School
Prince Philip and I were shocked and saddened by the news of the wild fires that are causing such devastation to Fort McMurray
The Queen's message to the Governor General of Canada following the wild fires in Fort McMurray
The Queen's birthday walkabout in Windsor
#HappyBirthdayYourMajesty: tributes pour in from across the Commonwealth and beyond...
Official photographs released for The Queen's 90th birthday
Celebrations begin on the eve of The Queen's 90th birthday
On this shared occasion, I send my warm congratulations to you all
The Queen's messages to those celebrating their 90th birthdays on 21 April
New Royal website launched
Prince Philip and I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of life and injuries after the terrorist attack in Brussels.
The Queen's message to The King of Belgium
The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy
Being inclusive and accepting diversity goes far deeper than accepting differences at face value and being tolerant.
The Queen's Commonwealth Day message, 14 March 2016
Announcement of a new Governor-General of New Zealand
The Queen and The Prince of Wales mark 40 years of The Prince's Trust
The Queen visits CrossRail
The understanding that we belong together, and are able, through teamwork, to achieve far more than we could do alone, has always been at the heart of our approach.
The baton relay represents a calling together of people from every part of the Commonwealth.
The Queen's Message to the Athletes
Prince Philip and I thank you for your warm expressions of loyalty and affection, and for the dedicated service you continue to offer our nation.
The Queen's reply to Loyal Addresses by Privileged Bodies, 27 March 2012
No-one who looked to the future over the past centuries could have imagined the strength of the bonds that are now in place between the governments and the people of our two nations.
A speech by The Queen at the Irish State Banquet, 2011
The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2015
The Queen's message to Tim Peake as he joins the International Space Station
Serjeant at Arms in the House of Commons
The Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry 2015
The Commonwealth is one of the great partnerships of the world where rich and poor, large and small, work together for the common good.
Opening the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Nigeria, 5 December 2005
The Queen's message to those affected by the recent flooding in the UK
Thank you, Mr Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old!
A speech by The Queen at the CHOGM Dinner, Malta, 2015
Ladies and gentlemen, I feel enormously proud of what the Commonwealth has achieved, and all of it within my lifetime
A speech by The Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta, 2015
Original announcement of a State Visit by the King and Queen of Spain
A life of public service is an honourable calling.
A speech by The Queen at the Home Office, 2015
A message from The Queen to President Hollande following the Paris attacks