Location: Buckingham Palace
Produced by: BBC
Theme: In the year of her Silver Wedding celebrations, Elizabeth II thanks members of the public for their good wishes and speaks of the importance of the Christian ideal of an enduring marriage between a man and a woman. At a time of escalating sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, Her Majesty extends her sympathy and support to the people of the Province. The Queen also looks ahead to Britain's accession to the European Economic Community (Common Market) and ponders the new relationship Britain will have with both the EEC and the existing Commonwealth.
Commentary: If it can be said that any one of Elizabeth II's many Christmas messages has not aged particularly well, it would probably be this one - at least in part. For a constitutional monarch to comment on Britain's securing membership to the European Economic Community (Common Market) was always going to be potentially hazardous given the controversies regarding application, but one can only assume, in view of the momentous historical implications of accession, as well as concerns in Britain and the Commonwealth, that Her Majesty thought it important that she should. In the Message, the Queen's attitude towards membership can perhaps best be described as gently positive, but with the benefit of hindsight some biographers have been critical of her approach. Andrew Marr describes Elizabeth II's hopes for a wider 'family of nations' as 'pious but, given the rivalries, implausible' (The Diamond Queen, 2012); Ben Pimlott put it more harshly: 'political and economic nonsense, a desperate bid to evade the reality' (The Queen, 1996). The fact was that the EEC and the Commonwealth were, where Britain was concerned, in competition with each other.
One would have thought that British prime minister Edward Heath would have been pleased that Elizabeth II was prepared to give what he would come to see as his great achievement a cautious welcome. Instead, Heath began what became something of a habit and upon seeing the transcript tried to interfere in the content of the Message. According to documents released from the National Archives, Heath told the Queen that she could only mention Britain's forthcoming accession to the EEC if she mentioned her (predominantly German) 'continental relations'. The Queen's advisers objected, stating that such references would make the broadcast unnecessarily long and could lead to 'snide remarks' from some sections of the public, given the two world wars which were still very much within living memory and lingering anti-German sentiment in Britain. In the event, Her Majesty did not mention her European relations and spoke about the EEC anyway.
One would have thought that British prime minister Edward Heath would have been pleased that Elizabeth II was prepared to give what he would come to see as his great achievement a cautious welcome. Instead, Heath began what became something of a habit and upon seeing the transcript tried to interfere in the content of the Message. According to documents released from the National Archives, Heath told the Queen that she could only mention Britain's forthcoming accession to the EEC if she mentioned her (predominantly German) 'continental relations'. The Queen's advisers objected, stating that such references would make the broadcast unnecessarily long and could lead to 'snide remarks' from some sections of the public, given the two world wars which were still very much within living memory and lingering anti-German sentiment in Britain. In the event, Her Majesty did not mention her European relations and spoke about the EEC anyway.
On a brighter note, the Queen talks about her Silver Wedding celebrations and her happy marriage to Prince Philip. Back in November this had been the first of Elizabeth II's personal milestone anniversaries to be publicly celebrated during her reign. Footage from the public events is shown during the Broadcast
The Regency Room 'set' looks near-identical to the previous year; the basic arrangement would remain in place until the middle of the decade. The Queen is filmed at desk level, periodically moving in to close-up. Her Majesty's outfit was perhaps the most imaginative since she switched to 'daywear' for her Christmas Broadcasts in the early 1960s; contemporary publicity describes the Queen as wearing 'a dress of fine lemon yellow wool, with embroidery around the neck, sleeves and down the front of the dress'.
Notes:
In 2016 the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to leave the European Union, a process which has become commonly known as 'Brexit'. In that year, unlike 1972, Elizabeth II made no reference to the potential impact of the decision on Britain's future. This is perhaps representative of a shift away from reflecting on political matters in her Christmas messages in recent decades and a more noticeable emphasis on faith, family and community work.
Trivia:
Elizabeth II and her father George VI had been the first British monarchs since William III (reigned 1689-1702) to reign with a predecessor still living. This situation ended in the spring of 1972 when the Duke of Windsor, who had abdicated as King Edward VIII in December 1936, died in France on 28th May at the age of 77. The Queen does not mention her uncle's death in her Message.
Full text here
The Regency Room 'set' looks near-identical to the previous year; the basic arrangement would remain in place until the middle of the decade. The Queen is filmed at desk level, periodically moving in to close-up. Her Majesty's outfit was perhaps the most imaginative since she switched to 'daywear' for her Christmas Broadcasts in the early 1960s; contemporary publicity describes the Queen as wearing 'a dress of fine lemon yellow wool, with embroidery around the neck, sleeves and down the front of the dress'.
Notes:
In 2016 the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to leave the European Union, a process which has become commonly known as 'Brexit'. In that year, unlike 1972, Elizabeth II made no reference to the potential impact of the decision on Britain's future. This is perhaps representative of a shift away from reflecting on political matters in her Christmas messages in recent decades and a more noticeable emphasis on faith, family and community work.
Trivia:
Elizabeth II and her father George VI had been the first British monarchs since William III (reigned 1689-1702) to reign with a predecessor still living. This situation ended in the spring of 1972 when the Duke of Windsor, who had abdicated as King Edward VIII in December 1936, died in France on 28th May at the age of 77. The Queen does not mention her uncle's death in her Message.
Full text here
