How the Queen’s Christmas decorations pay tribute to Prince Philip

The Queen has honored Prince Philip's legacy with her Christmas decorations this year, by paying tribute to one of the late royal's favorite hobbies. 

• The Queen has honored her late husband, Prince Philip, with a sweet gesture ahead of the Christmas season. 
• Her Majesty appears to have dedicated a Christmas decoration to the Duke of Edinburgh by paying tribute to his favorite creative hobby. 
• In other royal news, Queen's Christmas tree leaves royal fans confused with strange detail.
  

The Queen has paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh with this year's Christmas decorations, dedicating a festive ornament to her late husband's passion project—art. 

Prince Philip, who died aged 99 in April, had always been a creative mind, spending much of his spare time perched at an easel with a paintbrush in his hand. 

The royal was particularly fond of using watercolors and oils to create his designs, which could be of anything from scenic landscapes to floral stills. He even painted the Queen reading a newspaper at breakfast at Windsor Castle in 1965, offering a candid alternative to the traditionally formal portraits of Her Majesty. 

Now, it seems that the Queen is repaying the favor—by creating her own Prince Philip-inspired piece. 

The 95-year-old monarch has released an ornament of a paint palette—her husband's favorite art accessory—as part of a new series of Christmas decorations available to buy at the Royal Collection Shop. The delicate trinket, which has been lovingly handcrafted with colorful felt and gold thread, is "inspired by great artists of the past and present makes a fun addition to any artistic Christmas tree and serves as a wonderful reminder to be creative." 

The handmade quality of the sentimental ornament may also be a nod to Prince Philip's love of design. The Duke famously created multiple pieces of jewelry for the Queen, including the 3-carat diamond engagement ring with which he proposed back in 1947. 

His most iconic work, however, is perhaps his contribution to the restoration of Windsor Castle after its devastating fire in 1992. The Prince helped to make the stained-glass windows for its new private chapel, working closely off the sketches of their original creator, Joseph Nuttgens. 

If that wasn't impressive enough, he was also the patron of many British and Commonwealth artists, regularly supporting the likes of Barbara Hepworth and Mary Fedden.