The history behind the Queen’s speech on Christmas Day

The monarch's 67th Christmas message with be broadcast on 25th December - but how did the tradition begin and how has it evolved? 
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Marissa Desantis24 December 2019

On Christmas Day , Brits and royalists around the world will sit down to watch Queen Elizabeth’s 67th Christmas message, which will be broadcast at 3pm on television, radio and the Royal Family 's official social media accounts on YouTube and Facebook.

But how did the tradition begin and how has it evolved over the decades? Ahead of this year's broadcast, here’s everything you need to know about the Queen's speech.

When did it start?

King George V when he was still Prince of Wales
Getty Images

The Queen’s Christmas speech was actually started by her grandfather, King George V, when he delivered the first address over the radio during his reign in 1932. Known then as the King’s Christmas Message, George V’s first message was written by English writer Rudyard Kipling and transmitted live from a studio that was created for him at Sandringham estate.

The Coronation of King George VI
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King George V continued to give his yearly message until his death, with his last Christmas speech taking place in 1935. There was no Christmas speech in 1936, but in 1937, King George VI (Queen Elizabeth’s father) gave his first Christmas address, taking a brief pause the following year and resuming the message in 1939. George VI would establish the Christmas message as an annual tradition, speaking live on the radio every December 25 until his final broadcast in 1951, which was pre-recorded due to ill health.

King George VI and the Queen Mother
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Queen Elizabeth has since carried on the tradition, giving her first speech in 1952, ahead of her Coronation Day the following summer. In 1957, the Queen gave the first televised Christmas speech.

She has missed just one address in 1969, when following the investiture of her son, Prince Charles as Prince of Wales and the negative reception of a documentary about the Royal Family, the Queen sought to minimize public attention and opted for a written message instead.

The Queen in 1971
Getty Images

What is the Queen's speech?

The speech was originally established as a way for the reigning monarch to reflect on the year’s events and recall the Royal Family's own milestones. Its purpose has remained largely the same, with the Queen’s Christmas speeches chronicling historical moments from global, national and personal perspectives, creating a sense of community in the process.

The Queen in 2007, 50 years after her first televised speech
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King George V’s first broadcast reportedly reached 20 million listeners, and despite more competition today, the Queen’s Christmas speech is still viewed by millions who consider it to be an important part of their Christmas Day celebrations - last year, 6.3 million people tuned in to watch the Queen's Christmas message.

The Queen in 2018
Getty Images

Planning for the broadcasts begins well in advance, as footage filmed from public and private events is included. It is also an occasion for the Queen to speak without government advice, sharing her own views instead.

What will the Queen discuss in her speech this year?

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With her speeches spanning decades, Queen Elizabeth has covered everything in the past, from celebratory occasions like the birth of her son Prince Andrew in 1960 to tackling more sombre moments, like Princess Diana’s passing in her 1997 address.

AFP via Getty Images

This year, it is thought the Queen will mention the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son Archie, in addition to remarking on Brexit and the December 12 General Election.

The Queen’s most memorable speeches

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When Queen Elizabeth gave her very first Christmas speech in 1952, though it was radio broadcast, she delivered her message from the same desk and chair her father and grandfather had used.

The Queen in 1957, the year of her first televised speech
Getty Images

In her speech, she spoke of tradition, noting, “Each Christmas, at this time, my beloved Father broadcast a message to his people in all parts of the world ... As he used to do, I am speaking to you from my own home, where I am spending Christmas with my family ... My Father [King George VI], and my Grandfather [King George V] before him, worked hard all their lives to unite our peoples ever more closely, and to maintain its ideals which were so near to their hearts. I shall strive to carry on their work.”

In 1957, the Queen gave the first televised speech, in an effort to make her “Christmas message more personal and direct.”

On civil rights and women's rights

In the 1960s, the Queen pushed for equality. Speaking in solidarity with women in 1966, she said, “This year I should like to speak especially to women. In the modern world the opportunities for women to give something of value to the human family are greater than ever, because, through their own efforts, they are now beginning to play their full part in public life.”

And following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, the Queen opened her speech stating, “The essential message of Christmas is still that we all belong to the great brotherhood of man. This idea is not limited to the Christian faith. Philosophers and prophets have concluded that peace is better than war, love is better than hate and that mankind can only find progress in friendship and cooperation. Many ideas are being questioned today, but these great truths will continue to shine out as the light of hope in the darkness of intolerance and inhumanity.”

The speech after her 1992 'annus horribilis'

Windsor Castle on fire in 1992
AFP via Getty Images

In her 1992 speech, the Queen addressed personal hardships that included a fire at Windsor Castle, the separations of Prince Charles and Princess Diana as well as Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, and her daughter Princess Anne’s divorce from Mark Phillips

The Queen in 1992
Getty Images

“Like many other families, we have lived through some difficult days this year,” she stated. “The prayers, understanding, and sympathy given to us by so many of you, in good times and bad, have lent us great support and encouragement. It has touched me deeply that much of this has come from those of you who have troubles of your own.”

Adding to her difficulties that year, the Queen’s 1992 speech had been leaked by a British tabloid just two days before her Christmas Day address.

Addressing the passing of Princess Diana

In 1997, the Queen spoke of the joys and sadness in life, citing two events from the past year as her examples: Princess Diana’s tragic death in late August and the celebration of her and Prince Philip’s 50th wedding anniversary in November.

Diana Princess of Wales
PA Archive/PA Images

“We all felt the shock and sorrow of Diana’s death,” she said in her speech. Thousands upon thousands of you expressed your grief, most poignantly, in the wonderful flowers and messages left in tribute to her. That was a great comfort for all those close to her.”

The Queen goes 3D

2012 marked another advancement in technology for the Queen’s speech, as it was broadcast for the first time in 3D.

The Queen wearing 3D glasses to watch her Christmas message
Getty Images

Reflecting on four generations

And Queen Elizabeth’s 2013 speech centered on reflection, as she recalled the 60th anniversary of her coronation. Most notably, the Queen delivered her speech with several photos displayed on her desk - one from Prince George’s christening. The broadcast included footage from the christening, as the Queen noted, “It was a happy occasion, bringing together four generations.”

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