Queen fails to address anti-gay Commonwealth laws during Christmas speech
Cruz was crowned homecoming queen at Sweetwater Union High School (Screengrab/ABC)
Queen Elizabeth failed to discuss the issue during her annual address.
The Queen used her Christmas Day address – aired on the BBC – to speak of light triumphing over the dark in a year that she says has seen “moments of darkness”.
It comes after a year which has seen numerous of terror attacks – including mass shootings in Paris and the killing of 39 people at a Tunisian resort.
However, the monarch failed to address the ongoing issues faced by LGBT people across the Commonwealth – but she did praise the countries youth – who she called a “symbol of hope.”
“In 1949, I spent Christmas in Malta as a newly-married naval wife,” she said.
“We have returned to that island over the years, including last month for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders, and this year I met another group of leaders: The Queen’s Young Leaders, an inspirational group, each of them a symbol of hope in their own Commonwealth communities.”
Last month, Elton John claimed that Britain could use its influence to “push a little bit harder” for LGBT rights in anti-gay Commonwealth countries.
The singer insisted that Queen Elizabeth could easily change homophobic laws in places such as Kenya and India.
These laws come from the Commonwealth,” he told CNBC.
“These laws can be changed very easily by the Queen saying, ‘change the law’. I haven’t approached her about that yet.”
Sir Elton went on to say he would approach the monarch if conditions did not improve in the Commonwealth – as he believes she could wipe out such laws with “one wave of her hand.”
“These are old laws from the British Commonwealth, I mean these can be changed. And so the Queen could do that with one wave of her hand,” he said.
However, Sir Elton may be disappointed to find out that this is not actually the case.
The Queen has no constitutional powers to force any member of the Commonwealth – or indeed any member of the Commonwealth Realms where she is head of state – to change its laws
