Being Queen of England isn’t all wearing jewels and giving orders. In fact, a great deal of careful planning goes into almost everything Queen Elizbeth does, from selecting outfits to her beauty regimen. And today, Buckingham Palace offered a glimpse Today, Buckingham Palace offered a glimpse into what it takes to organize the 93-year-old queen’s annual televised Christmas speech. Spoiler alert: She doesn’t just wing it.
The Palace Reveals Exactly What Goes Into Planning Queen Elizabeth’s Annual Christmas Speech
Published Dec 16, 2019
•1:20pm
How Does Queen Elizabeth Plan Her Christmas Broadcast?
A post shared to @TheRoyalFamily Instagram account today spilled the deets on Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas broadcast saying, “Planning for the Christmas Broadcast begins months in advance when The Queen decides on the themes she wishes to address. The broadcast has been, and remains, the Monarch’s own personal message to the nation and Commonwealth.”
How Long Does the Tradition Go Back?
Since her first holiday speech in 1957, millions of people have tuned in on Christmas Day to watch the queen live from Buckingham Palace or Sandringham. But the tradition was actually born in 1932 when her grandfather King George V first delivered a short address via radio to honor the royal family’s personal milestones and the year’s major events. From then on, the time-honored practice continued until Queen Elizabeth decided to modernize it and accepted the BBC’s request to air her Christmas message live on TV. The rest is history.
What Have Some Themes Been in the Past?
Last year, Queen Elizabeth focused on the theme of kindness. However, the palace opted to highlight her 1977 address on Instagram today, sharing photos and quotes from the queen’s speech.
“I shall never forget the scene outside Buckingham Palace on Jubilee Day,” the slideshow caption quoted her as saying. “The cheerful crowd was symbolic of the hundreds of thousands of people who greeted us wherever we went in this Jubilee Year—in twelve Commonwealth countries and 36 counties in the United Kingdom...God bless you and a very happy Christmas to you all.”
