The 1992 Broadcast

Location:  Sandringham

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:   

 

In a year in which Elizabeth II had seen the collapse of the marriages of three out of her four children (the youngest, Prince Edward, was as yet unmarried), unprecedented scrutiny of her tax and financial affairs and a fire which badly damaged her favourite home of Windsor Castle, the Queen, as expected, refers to her personal problems at the end of what she herself described as her annus horribilis.  After speaking of the comforting, familiar surrounding of Sandringham, the venue of many happy Christmases throughout her life, Her Majesty acknowledges her family's difficulties in this 'sombre' year:  'Like many other families, we have lived through some difficult days this year. 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.'  However, the Queen draws strength from the work of Servicemen and women, aid workers and the courage of humanitarian Leonard Cheshire during his terminal illness which helped her to put her own problems into perspective.  The Queen looks ahead to 1993 on a positive note with renewed hope:  'I and my family, as we approach a new year, will draw strength from this faith in our commitment to your service in the coming years.'

Commentary:  

 

Seldom has a Christmas message from Elizabeth II been more keenly anticipated than that of 1992.  Never one to use her annual address to dwell on her own family's issues, this had been such an appalling year for the Monarchy that it was generally accepted that the Queen would address the subject of her difficulties.  When she does so, she downplays her problems with characteristic understatement, never once appearing sensationalistic.  It is seldom more apparent than here that Elizabeth II is a woman of faith and optimism. 

It is perhaps ironic that this worst of all years for the Queen should coincide with one of the most impressive Christmas broadcast productions in many years.  Philip Gilbert, who had replaced David  Attenborough as producer of the Broadcast, secured a return to Sandringham, the spiritual home of the Christmas Message, for the first time since the pre-recording of the broadcasts began in 1960.  The Sandringham 'cycle' would continue for the next five years.  As the Queen walks through the Small Drawing Room at the start of the production, talking about her father and grandfather, her childhood and her grandchildren, in the very place where she is spending Christmas, there is a genuinely personal feel to the broadcast at a time when Her Majesty needed the support and understanding of her subjects.  There is no interspersed footage to interrupt her words;  the focus is entirely on the Queen as she speaks from her home and from her heart and it strikes just the right note.  The production is rounded off perfectly as a montage of photographs from the Queen's forty year reign (there had been no major celebrations at her own request) are shown to the accompaniment of a soulful rendition of God Save The Queen.

There was to be one last painful twist in the annus horribilis involving the Christmas broadcast itself.  The text of the message was leaked to the Sun newspaper who printed the speech virtually word for word two days before broadcast, breaking normal embargo rules.  The Sun claimed to have done nothing illegal and to have obtained the story by 'good, old-fashioned techniques'.  However, the Queen was said to be 'very, very distressed' by the leak and her lawyers threatened legal action.  Ultimately, the Sun settled out of court and agreed to pay £200,000 to charity plus legal costs (Pimlott, The Queen, 1996).

Notes:

It is often wrongly supposed that Elizabeth II coined the term 'annus horribilis' during this Christmas message.  In fact, she had said it in a speech to the Guildhall the previous month.  The 'sympathetic correspondent' who used the term was later revealed to be the Queen's former courtier Sir Edward Ford.

 

The Sandringham guide book (2012 Diamond Jubilee edition) describes the Small Drawing Room thus: 'The delicate decoration of this room is reflected in the walls which are hung with English silk, manufactured in Suffolk.  Much of the porcelain is Meissen and Copenhagen acquired by the Princess of Wales in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.  The decoration is floral or musical, themes which continue on the set of three Sheraton-style armchairs which are painted with flowers and musical instruments.  The seat covers were worked by Queen Mary in 1935.'

 

The Christmas tree decorations seen here appear to be the same ones used in the Broadcast from Buckingham Palace the previous year.

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