The 2002 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  ITN

Theme:  'As I look back over these past twelve months, I know that it has been about as full a year as I can remember.'  So begins Elizabeth II's speech at the end of her Golden Jubilee year, and her words are no exaggeration.  The early part of 2002 had seen the Queen's sad double bereavement - the deaths of her sister, Princess Margaret, in February, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, in March.  In a way, however, the departure of the older generation of the royal family cleared the stage for the Queen, and in June Her Majesty became the object of an outpouring of affection during the extraordinary long weekend that marked the Golden Jubilee festivities, which was followed by a busy nationwide tour.

The contrasting emotions Elizabeth II had experienced during the year sets the tone for one of the most personal Christmas messages of her reign.  In many ways the speech echoes the 'silken twine' theme of the 1997 broadcast - contrasting joy with sadness.  The Queen pays tribute to her late mother and sister, and thanks members of the public whose support and 'generous tributes' had sustained her in her grief.  She moves on to talk about the joy of the Golden Jubilee celebrations and the importance of anniversaries in our lives; but more than just a celebration, the Golden Jubilee brought a sense of pride, belonging and shared common heritage which was 'more lasting and profound'.

The closing words of the broadcast give an illuminating insight into what may be the personal philosophy of Queen Elizabeth II, as she speaks of the guiding light of her own Christian faith:

'Each day is a new beginning, I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God'.

The Queen and Prince Philip ride in the Gold State Coach, June 2002

Commentary:  Surrounded by photographs of her parents and her sister, and wearing the Centenary Rose brooch which she had given her mother as a gift for her one hundredth birthday in 2000, Elizabeth II was now the last survivor of the family that her father, George VI, called 'We Four'.  Although Her Majesty seems a slightly more fragile figure than she had done the previous Christmas, it is clear that she had been deeply moved by the love of so many of her people during the triumphant Golden Jubilee celebrations:  life went on, and her reign went on.

The mood is set well at the start of the broadcast:  first we see joyous reminders of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, including the Queen in the magnificent Gold State Coach, accompanied by Handel's glorious coronation anthem 'Zadoc the Priest', followed by images of the sombre pageantry of the Queen Mother's funeral.  The Queen is filmed seated at a table in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace, a similar set-up to the broadcasts of 1997 and 1998, after the 'sofa Queen' of the previous two years.  The only major innovation is that the camera zooms in to a somewhat alarming close-up of Her Majesty during the closing moments of the speech.  This effect has not been seen before or since, so one can imagine that words were said quietly in private later!

In a major departure from tradition, for the first time trailers, including the theme of the message and short extracts from it, were given to media organisations for use in news bulletins prior to transmission.  It was thought that in a year when there was more than the usual interest in the Message, and in an age of falling television audiences, that this would be a good way of publicising the broadcast.  This has become the usual practice in subsequent years.  Previously, the contents of the Christmas broadcast had been handled with great secrecy until transmission.

This was the second time that Elizabeth II had addressed the nation in 2002.  The Queen had made a short broadcast in April on the eve of the Queen Mother's funeral, in which she paid tribute to her mother and thanked the public for their support.

Trivia:

Despite the anticipation and interest ahead of the 2002 Christmas broadcast, it appears that - unusually - no accompanying publicity photograph was released.  Instead a 'semi-official' (but rather grainy looking) screen capture was hastily issued.

As of 2012, this is the last time that the Queen delivered her Message from a seated position.

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