Royal Christmas Message

The Queen/King's Christmas Message, formally Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech, is a broadcast made by the sovereign of the Commonwealth realms to the Commonwealth of Nations each Christmas. The tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast by King George V on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Empire Service. Since 1952, the message has been read by Elizabeth II; today, it is broadcast on television, radio, and the Internet via various providers.

### History

The idea for a Christmas message from the sovereign to the British Empire was first proposed by the "founding father" of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), John Reith, in 1922 when he approached King George V about making a short broadcast on the newly created radio service. The King declined, however, believing that radio was mainly an entertainment. Reith approached the King again ten years later, in 1932, as a way to inaugurate the Empire Service (now the World Service) and the King finally agreed after being encouraged to do so by Queen Mary and Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. That year, George V read the first Royal Christmas Message; the King was originally hesitant about using the relatively untested medium of radio, but was reassured after a summertime visit to the BBC and agreed to carry out the concept and read the speech from a temporary studio set up at Sandringham House. The broadcast was introduced from Ilmington Manor by 65-year-old Walton Handy, a local shepherd, with carols from the church choir and the bells ringing from the town church, and reached an estimated 20 million people in Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, South Africa, and the UK.

The message typically combines a chronicle of that year's major events, with specific focus on the British Empire originally and later the Commonwealth of Nations, with the sovereign's own personal milestones and feelings on Christmas. It is one of the few instances when the sovereign speaks publicly without advice from any ministers of the Crown in any of the monarch's realms. Planning for each year's address begins months earlier, when the monarch establishes a theme and appropriate archival footage is collected and assembled; the actual speech is recorded a few days prior to Christmas.

In the United Kingdom and on the Internet, broadcast of the Queen's Christmas message is embargoed until 15.00h GMT on 25 December. In other parts of the Commonwealth, the message is first broadcast in New Zealand at 18.06h local time by Radio New Zealand on RNZ National, then again at 18.50h by Television New Zealand on TVNZ1, in Australia by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at 19.20h local time, and in Canada by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation at noon local time on television, 15.50h local time on CBC Radio One and 11.50h on CBC Radio Two.

#### 1930s

The first Royal Christmas Message was written by Rudyard Kipling and touched on the advance of technology that permitted the King to deliver an intimate message to all parts of the world, as well as mentioning the need for work towards peace and counselling listeners to aim for "prosperity without self-seeking."

   In later addresses, George V spoke about the recovery of the world from the Great Depression (1933); the marriage of his son, the Duke of Kent to Princess Marina (1934); the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne, the marriage of his son, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and the death of his sister, Princess Victoria (1935).

There was no broadcast in 1936 owing to the abdication of Edward VIII just weeks prior to Christmas.

George VI delivered his first message and recalled his father's broadcasts and expressed his pledge to be worthy of his subjects' support (1937). There was no message the following year.

On the first Christmas of the Second World War, the king offered a message of reassurance and talked about the hard task of the forces facing Hitler (1939).

#### 1940s

George VI continued the Christmas messages throughout the 1940s, and spoke directly to those affected by the war (1940-45). In both 1946 and 1947 he discussed the difficulties of post-war adjustment and added encouragement to his subjects, advising patience, while the world recovered.

In 1948, the king delivered his message from Buckingham Palace for the first time, unable to travel to Sandringham due to ill health. He recalled the silver anniversary of his marriage to his consort, Elizabeth, and the birth of their grandson, Prince Charles. He spoke of his illness and regret at having to cancel a visit to Australia and New Zealand.

In 1948, George VI reassured people of his recovery from illness and expressed gratitude to the United States of America for its sympathy and support towards Britain's effort towards recovery after the war.

#### 1950s

King George VI gave his final Christmas messages in 1950 and 1951, discussing the Cold War, Korean War, the risk posed by thermonuclear weapons and, in his final message (the only one he pre-recorded, having recently undergone lung surgery) he spoke of his recovery goodwill messages he had received.

Elizabeth II gave her first Christmas message from the same desk and chair used by her father and grandfather before her, promising to keep up the tradition and strive to carry on their work to unite the peoples of the Empire (1952). This message, and the ones until 1957, were simulcast on television in sound only in the United Kingdom.

In 1953, the Queen broadcast her message from Auckland, New Zealand, during her and the Duke of Edinburgh's six month tour of the Commonwealth. In 1955, the Queen's theme was the opportunities arising from membership of the Commonwealth of Nations. The message was sound-only television broadcast was simulcast on the BBC Television Service and the newly launched ITV for the first time.

The Duke of Edinburgh spoke from the Royal Yacht Britannia before the Queen made her live speech from Sandringham House, in which she expressed her sadness at being separated from him while he was travelling around the Commonwealth (1956). The Queen was criticised for her continual refusal to have her message televised. The following year, the message was the first to be televised and was also the 25th anniversary of the first Christmas broadcast on radio. Whilst noting the advance in technology, freak radio conditions caused by sunspots caused listeners to hear an American police officer say "Joe, I'm gonna grab a quick coffee."

1958's message focused on the importance of spiritual and family values and responded to requests that her children be shown in the broadcast by saying that after a great deal of thought she and her husband decided against it as they want their children to grow up as naturally as possible. This was the final Christmas message to be delivered live.

In the Queen's first pre-recorded message filmed at Buckingham Palace the week before, the Queen conveyed her gratitude for the warm wishes received. The pre-recording allowed the message to be shipped abroad and be be broadcast in Australia and New Zealand on Christmas Day for the first time, rather than Boxing Day due to the time differences and the International Date Line.

#### 1960s

The Queen spoke of the birth of Prince Andrew; her sister, Prince Margaret's marriage to Anthony Armstrong-Jones; Nigeria's independence; the earthquake in Morocco; and the explosion at a colliery in Wales (1960). In 1961, she reflected on her visits to  India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Iran, as well as her visit to Vatican City. The Queen spoke of the launch of Telstar (1962).

In 1963, the Queen delivered her Christmas message on radio as she was pregnant with her fourth child, Prince Edward. In 1964, she spoke of the importance of Commonwealth in the year Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in South Africa.

The subject in 1965 was family and, in 1966, the role of women in society. The broadcast of 1967 was the first to be shown in colour. In 1968, the Queen talked about brotherhood and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

There was no Christmas message for 1969 as she felt that she had had enough coverage on television due to the broadcasts of the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales, and of the documentary Royal Family. Instead she gave a written message, acknowledging the first moon landing, and expressing concern that "the lonely, the sick and the elderly" should feel the warmth and companionship of Christmas.

#### 1970s

Once again televised, the speech recounted some of the trips made by the Queen during the year; it included film shot in Australia, New Zealand and Canada (1970). In 1971, the theme was families and showed Princes Andrew and Edward looking at a family photograph album. 1972's broadcast included celebrations of the 25th anniversary of her marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh, and mention of the troubles in Northern Ireland and Britain's preparations for joining the European Economic Community (EEC).

The next Christmas broadcasts featured footage of Princess Anne's marriage to Captain Mark Phillips (1973); the continuing violence in Northern Ireland, the famine in Bangladesh, and the floods in Brisbane, Australia (1974).

In 1975, the message was recorded outdoors for the first time, in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, where she acknowledged a year of record inflation and unemployment in the UK and worldwide. The focus of the 1976 message was the bicentennial of the United States during which she and the Duke undertook a visit to the USA.

1977's message recalled the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations and she expressed hope for reconciliation in Northern Ireland, where she had visited in August for the first time in 11 years. In 1978, the subject was the future and featured footage of new grandson Peter Phillips and Princess Anne, and recordings of earlier broadcasts going back to George V. As 1979 was the Year of the Child, the Christmas message addressed the theme of children and young people. For the first time, Ceefax was used to provide subtitles for the hard of hearing.

#### 1980s

The first Christmas message of the 80s attracted a record 28m viewers in the UK when the Queen reflected on her mother's 80th birthday. 1981's message marked International year of Disabled Persons. Marking the 50th anniversary of the first Christmas message, the broadcast was recorded at Windsor Castle for the first time, with the theme of "the sea" and the Queen speaking about the Falklands War and the birth of her third grandson, Prince William (1982).

In 1983, the Queen talked about modern technologies, her visit to Bangladesh and meeting Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and invested Mother Teresa into the Order of Merit. She then spoke about what adults could learn from children and showed footage of the christening of Prince Harry (1984).

Despite mentioning the Mexico City earthquake, famine in Africa and the Air India crash off the Irish coast, 1985's message focused on the good news stories of the year. David Attenborough produced his first Christmas message with the Queen stressing society's responsibility towards children (1986).

The Queen spoke about the Remembrance Day bombing in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland and stressed the importance of tolerance and forgiveness (1987); references to the Clapham Junction rail crash and the Lockerbie disaster were added at the last minute to the 1988 broadcast when she reflected on the anniversaries of the Spanish Armada (400th), arrival of William III and Mary II to Britain (300th) and the founding of Australia (200th).

In 1989, part of the recording was made at the Royal Albert Hall at a special gala occasion in front of an audience before the international airing when spoke to children at the end of the broadcast.

#### 1990s

Elizabeth paid tribute to the role of the armed services in the context of imminent war in the Persian Gulf (1990) and she spoke about the dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991). The latter broadcast was the last produced by David Attenborough. The 1992 speech, one month after the Windsor Castle fire, was leaked to The Sun newspaper prior to broadcast. This was the 60th anniversary of the speech and the Queen's 40th Christmas message.

The Queen praised the achievements of volunteers working for peace and the relief of others (1993) and reflected on past and present peace efforts, the 50th anniversary of the Normandy Landings and her state visit to Russia (1994). The 1995 message began with the 50th anniversaries of VE-Day and VJ-Day, turning to the Bosnian War, and a full year of peace in Northern Ireland. The Queen spoke of her trips to Poland, the Czech Republic, and Thailand, as well as the visit to the UK by South African President Nelson Mandela, with an overall theme of hope for the future (1996).

After 65 years of Christmas broadcasts produced by the BBC, Independent Television News (ITN) produced the 1997 message, which was the first to be published on the Internet and the 40th on television. The Queen had announced that the message would now be produced and broadcast alternately by the BBC and its main rival, ITN, with a biennial rotation. In the messagehe Queen reminded viewers that Westminster Abbey had that year been the scene of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as the celebration of Elizabeth's golden wedding anniversary, speaking of the joy of her married life. In conclusion, the Queen welcomed the imminent devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, and spoke of the benefits of being a United Kingdom.

The 1998 broadcast included film of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, visiting the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey and the reception for the Prince of Wales' 50th birthday.

In the final broadcast of the 20th century, the Queen was looking forward to the start of a new century and a new millennium, as well as looking at the lessons of history. The broadcast featured footage of a reception for young achievers at Holyrood Palace, and a reception for members of the emergency services at Buckingham Palace.