Queen Elizabeth II followed in her father, George VI’s footsteps after he died. After a historical 70-year reign, the Commonwealth fondly remembers her Christmas day speeches, a tradition now carried on by her son, King Charles.
King George V Started The Tradition In 1932
Elizabeth’s grandfather, King George V, started the broadcast in 1932. He continued every year, including his last Christmas in 1935. At the time of the first speech, the Daily Mail called it
“the world’s most thrilling broadcast.”
King George VI didn’t give a Christmas day speech in 1936 after his brother, Edward VIII, abdicated the throne to tie the knot with American socialite and divorcee Wallis Simpson.
King George VI’s first Christmas broadcast was in 1937. George VI had difficulty with speech and struggled with stuttering. He delivered his first Christmas message with guidance from his speech therapist, Lionel Logue.
George VI found the ordeal very stressful, and the following year, he skipped it. Only when he decided to give a speech in 1939 did the annual tradition really pick up. It has continued ever since.
All the speeches delivered by George V and George VI occurred live from Sandringham, except George VI’s final message, which was recorded in advance.
Queen Elizabeth II delivered her first Christmas speech in 1952. She talked about families coming together for Christmas and felt the Commonwealth was like a large family.
The Queen also mentioned her coronation, which would take place the following year. She asked that people pray for her ahead of the event.
1957 was the 25th anniversary of George V’s first time addressing the nation on Christmas. That year, her message was televised. She sat in the Long Library at Sandringham and spoke.
She wore an evening gown and pearls her father had given her. During her address, she said,
“Twenty-five years ago, my grandfather broadcast the first of these messages.”
Queen Elizabeth II And Her Final Christmas Message In 2021
“Today is another landmark,”
She asserted.
“Television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas day.”
In 1959, the Queen was heavily pregnant with Prince Andrew and went wireless again. The Queen had every single one of her broadcasts televised; after that year,
From 1960 onward, the message was no longer live; it was pre-recorded. 1967 was the first Christmas speech to be broadcast in color. The only time during her 70-year-long reign the Christmas message wasn’t broadcast was in 1969.
1992 was Her Majesty’s annus horribilis. Three of her four children were getting divorced, and a fire destroyed part of Windsor Castle.
That year, her message reflected her desire to move forward. She said it had been a “somber year,” but she “hoped to put it behind us come 1993.” The Queen published her Christmas message online for the first time in 1997.
The Queen’s last Christmas speech was in 2021. It was a sweet and deeply personal tribute to her late husband, Prince Phillip, and marked the end of an era for several reasons. The Queen’s son, King Charles, took over the tradition in 2022.
Today, Charles gave his third Christmas message. He continues a beloved royal tradition that unites and inspires people.
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