Queen Elizabeth II celebrated Christmas Day with a traditional church service and a message of hope, stressing in her annual address that light can overcome darkness.

Members of the Royal Family joined the Queen for a service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England, on Friday.

Thousands of well-wishers lined the route to the church to greet the Queen, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, and Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.

The duke and duchess' young children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, remained at home for the morning.

The Queen's annual Christmas message was also broadcast on Friday, offering an optimistic message after a year that's seen terror attacks and a migrant crisis.

Royal Family attends Christmas church service

Despite these "moments of darkness," the Queen said in the pre-recorded speech, there is reason for hope.

"The Gospel of John contains a verse of great hope, often read at Christmas carol services," she said. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

The hashtag #QueensSpeech quickly started trending on Twitter, with the queen’s remarks garnering attention from thousands of people on social media.

The Queen also shared part of her speech on social media.

The monarch also gave followers a brief history lesson about the first royal Christmas speech, delivered by King George V in 1932.

A detailed history of royal Christmas speeches is available on the British Monarchy’s website.

Queen Elizabeth on Christmas Day