Produced by: BBC
Theme: In the year that Princess Anne became the first of her children to marry, Elizabeth II speaks of the importance of family and friends. The Queen recalls the public enthusiasm for the wedding as well as the gathering of the Commonwealth 'family' at the Heads of Government meeting. Her Majesty also remembers those who are not fortunate enough to have a network of support and those who seek to help them: 'there are many people of all ages who go out to help the old and the
lonely, the sick and the handicapped. I am sure that, in so doing, they
find the real happiness that comes from serving and thinking of others.' Recalling Christ's example, the Queen concludes that the qualities of the human spirit 'are more important than material gain'.
Commentary: This is the third of four consecutive Broadcasts in which essentially the same 'set' is used: a slight re-arrangement of the usual appearance of the Regency Room. Elizabeth II glows in bright pink while, as with the previous two years, there is a large bunch of fresh flowers behind Her Majesty adding to the carefully choreographed cheerfulness. The Queen certainly appears relaxed and happy as she talks about her daughter's wedding while exclusive behind-the-scenes images from the occasion earlier in the year are shown.
However, Elizabeth II's focus on family and Commonwealth may not have been the whole story of the 1973 Message. Beneath the festive cheeriness, the United Kingdom was enduring what history tends to characterise as an era of power cuts, 'three-day weeks' and public sector strikes. It is claimed that British prime minister Edward Heath (who is also accused of interfering in the content of the 1972 Message) 'censored' the Queen's attempts to express in her speech her 'deep concern' at the 'special difficulties Britain is now facing', considering the proposed comments 'alarmist' and 'bad for morale'. On the other hand, Robert Armstrong, a senior civil servant who served as Principle Private Secretary under Heath, denies rumours of 'terse notes' being passed between Downing Street and Buckingham Palace officials over the speech, stating that Heath 'considered the Queen's Christmas message to be her own affair about which he did not need to be formally consulted and on which he would never have done more than offer a tentative suggestion if he had been' (Ziegler, Edward Heath, 2010). Two months after the 1973 Message was broadcast, Edward Heath would lose power in the 'snap' general election which he called in February 1974. The following Christmas, Elizabeth II was finally at liberty to address Britain's economic difficulties in her annual message.
Notes:
There are two versions of the postscript that Elizabeth II wanted to add to her 1973 Message, both of which were vetoed by Downing Street for being too 'political':
1. "Because my Christmas broadcast goes to all the Commonwealth, it had to be recorded some time ago, before the special difficulties which Britain is now facing came upon us. I cannot let Christmas pass without speaking to you directly of these difficulties because they are of deep concern to all of us as individuals and as a nation.
"Different people have different views, deeply and sincerely felt, about our problems and how they should be solved. Let us remember, however, that what we have in common is more important than what divides us."
2. "I cannot let Christmas pass without speaking to you directly of the hardship and difficulties with which so many are faced because of deep concern to all of us as individuals and as a nation.
"But I have felt that Christmas is so much a family occasion that you would not wish me to harp on these difficulties, but to let you hear and see something which was recorded some time ago about events in the Commonwealth family and in my own family."
Trivia:
Elizabeth II does not appear to be wearing her familiar pearls on this occasion, which makes 1973 unique among her Christmas Broadcasts.
However, Elizabeth II's focus on family and Commonwealth may not have been the whole story of the 1973 Message. Beneath the festive cheeriness, the United Kingdom was enduring what history tends to characterise as an era of power cuts, 'three-day weeks' and public sector strikes. It is claimed that British prime minister Edward Heath (who is also accused of interfering in the content of the 1972 Message) 'censored' the Queen's attempts to express in her speech her 'deep concern' at the 'special difficulties Britain is now facing', considering the proposed comments 'alarmist' and 'bad for morale'. On the other hand, Robert Armstrong, a senior civil servant who served as Principle Private Secretary under Heath, denies rumours of 'terse notes' being passed between Downing Street and Buckingham Palace officials over the speech, stating that Heath 'considered the Queen's Christmas message to be her own affair about which he did not need to be formally consulted and on which he would never have done more than offer a tentative suggestion if he had been' (Ziegler, Edward Heath, 2010). Two months after the 1973 Message was broadcast, Edward Heath would lose power in the 'snap' general election which he called in February 1974. The following Christmas, Elizabeth II was finally at liberty to address Britain's economic difficulties in her annual message.
Notes:
There are two versions of the postscript that Elizabeth II wanted to add to her 1973 Message, both of which were vetoed by Downing Street for being too 'political':
1. "Because my Christmas broadcast goes to all the Commonwealth, it had to be recorded some time ago, before the special difficulties which Britain is now facing came upon us. I cannot let Christmas pass without speaking to you directly of these difficulties because they are of deep concern to all of us as individuals and as a nation.
"Different people have different views, deeply and sincerely felt, about our problems and how they should be solved. Let us remember, however, that what we have in common is more important than what divides us."
2. "I cannot let Christmas pass without speaking to you directly of the hardship and difficulties with which so many are faced because of deep concern to all of us as individuals and as a nation.
"But I have felt that Christmas is so much a family occasion that you would not wish me to harp on these difficulties, but to let you hear and see something which was recorded some time ago about events in the Commonwealth family and in my own family."
Trivia:
Elizabeth II does not appear to be wearing her familiar pearls on this occasion, which makes 1973 unique among her Christmas Broadcasts.
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