Location: Buckingham Palace
Produced by: BBC
Theme:
The Queen looks at the family through the lens of Christmas which she describes as 'the great family festival', tracing Christmas back to the Holy Family, who had endured hardship on the way to Bethlehem. Her Majesty tells listeners that it should be remembered that: 'in spite of all the scientific advances and great improvements in our material welfare, the family remains as the focal point of our existence.' Elizabeth II also looks at the wider human family and recalls that Christmas is the time of 'peace on earth and goodwill towards men' - aspirations which should not be forgotten or given up on in a troubled world.
The Queen looks at the family through the lens of Christmas which she describes as 'the great family festival', tracing Christmas back to the Holy Family, who had endured hardship on the way to Bethlehem. Her Majesty tells listeners that it should be remembered that: 'in spite of all the scientific advances and great improvements in our material welfare, the family remains as the focal point of our existence.' Elizabeth II also looks at the wider human family and recalls that Christmas is the time of 'peace on earth and goodwill towards men' - aspirations which should not be forgotten or given up on in a troubled world.
Commentary:
The Queen takes the festival of Christmas as the framework around which she builds her speech. Perhaps surprisingly, at this stage in her reign Her Majesty did not always refer explicitly to Christmas in her annual broadcasts, except to convey her good wishes to her subjects at the end. Many of Elizabeth II's Messages of the 1950s and 1960s give only a passing reference to the festival; though in the post-Millennium era we are far more used to the Queen talking more overtly about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
For the first time, the same 'look' is adopted for consecutive Broadcasts, as the artificial Bow Room sitting room 'set' returns; the production team were presumably confident that they had found the appropriate balance of comfort and grandeur that was required. The main difference is that the Bow Room curtains are different from the previous year and are opened, revealing that the programme was recorded in the late afternoon or evening.
At the start of the production, mighty Big Ben solemnly strikes 3 o' clock, while Buckingham Palace is shown in broad daylight on a summer's day; the camera then cuts to the Queen inside the Bow Room, where it is clearly dark outside! Moments of drama like this would have a purpose if the Broadcast was live; but since it clearly isn't, such sloppy continuity only serves to emphasise the loss of spontaneity in this age of pre-recording.
At the end of the production, Elizabeth II's theme of 'family' is underscored by the playing of specially-shot footage of her own young family, now complete following the birth of Prince Edward in 1964, accompanied by a particularly frenzied choral version of God Save the Queen. This sequence is the highlight of the Broadcast, showing the Queen, her husband and children walking through the gardens of Frogmore House at daffodil time, with baby Prince Edward in his pram being the centre of attention. The whole family make a fuss of little Edward, with the exception of five-year-old Prince Andrew, who plays merrily in the grass. The closing shots are of a serene and contented looking Elizabeth II with her youngest child, who looks tired and grumpy (as every parent knows, babies do not smile to order!).
The closing sequence demonstrates the opportunities of pre-recording as opposed to the obvious down-sides. In the live 1958 message, Elizabeth II had explained the reasons why she and the Duke of Edinburgh had declined requests that their two older children appear in the Broadcast. Now editorial control was possible and the Queen and her husband relented. Increasingly, in subsequent years the annual Broadcast would be an opportunity to show exclusive footage of the Queen and her family in informal situations.
Notes:
Frogmore House is situated near to Windsor Castle in Berkshire. Once a favourite country retreat of George III's consort Queen Charlotte, it is not currently used as a royal residence, though the present royal family still use it for entertaining. It is perhaps best known for the ornate mausoleum in the grounds where Queen Victoria and her consort Prince Albert are buried. The Royal Burial Ground, where less senior members of the family are interred, is also situated here.
Full text here
For the first time, the same 'look' is adopted for consecutive Broadcasts, as the artificial Bow Room sitting room 'set' returns; the production team were presumably confident that they had found the appropriate balance of comfort and grandeur that was required. The main difference is that the Bow Room curtains are different from the previous year and are opened, revealing that the programme was recorded in the late afternoon or evening.
At the start of the production, mighty Big Ben solemnly strikes 3 o' clock, while Buckingham Palace is shown in broad daylight on a summer's day; the camera then cuts to the Queen inside the Bow Room, where it is clearly dark outside! Moments of drama like this would have a purpose if the Broadcast was live; but since it clearly isn't, such sloppy continuity only serves to emphasise the loss of spontaneity in this age of pre-recording.
At the end of the production, Elizabeth II's theme of 'family' is underscored by the playing of specially-shot footage of her own young family, now complete following the birth of Prince Edward in 1964, accompanied by a particularly frenzied choral version of God Save the Queen. This sequence is the highlight of the Broadcast, showing the Queen, her husband and children walking through the gardens of Frogmore House at daffodil time, with baby Prince Edward in his pram being the centre of attention. The whole family make a fuss of little Edward, with the exception of five-year-old Prince Andrew, who plays merrily in the grass. The closing shots are of a serene and contented looking Elizabeth II with her youngest child, who looks tired and grumpy (as every parent knows, babies do not smile to order!).
The closing sequence demonstrates the opportunities of pre-recording as opposed to the obvious down-sides. In the live 1958 message, Elizabeth II had explained the reasons why she and the Duke of Edinburgh had declined requests that their two older children appear in the Broadcast. Now editorial control was possible and the Queen and her husband relented. Increasingly, in subsequent years the annual Broadcast would be an opportunity to show exclusive footage of the Queen and her family in informal situations.
Notes:
Frogmore House is situated near to Windsor Castle in Berkshire. Once a favourite country retreat of George III's consort Queen Charlotte, it is not currently used as a royal residence, though the present royal family still use it for entertaining. It is perhaps best known for the ornate mausoleum in the grounds where Queen Victoria and her consort Prince Albert are buried. The Royal Burial Ground, where less senior members of the family are interred, is also situated here.
Full text here
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