The 1966 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:

Elizabeth II discusses the value of women and the increasingly important role women are playing in society.  Her Majesty reflects on some of the important social changes of the preceding decades, including women getting the vote and the influence that the 'gentleness' of women has had in humanitarian changes: 'The struggles against inhuman prejudice, against squalor, ignorance, and disease, have always owed a great deal to the determination and tenacity of women', she says.  While noting that women are 'beginning to play their full part in public life', the Queen also praises 'the devotion of nuns and nurses', 'the care of mothers and wives' and 'the service of teachers'.

The Queen ends by praising those who are trying to build a happier and more peaceful world.

Commentary:

On the home front it may have been the year when people celebrated the triumph of eleven Englishmen, but as the 'women's lib' movement spread through the western world, Elizabeth II chose to highlight the importance of women.  This isn't a necessarily 'feminist' speech as we may understand it today -  Her Majesty speaks of the 'gentleness' of women, championing a traditionally feminine quality, and is happy to praise nuns, wives and mothers in addition to acknowledging the increasing numbers of women active in public life - but it is a nod in the direction of women's rights;  the Queen is saying that all women, whatever their role or station in life, have a value.

Mention the year 1966 to most English people and they will automatically think of winning the World Cup.  Elizabeth II had attended the Wembley final and presented the Jules Rimet trophy to England captain Bobby Moore, so it may seem extraordinary to many that the Queen of England doesn't mention the achievement at all in her annual Message.  Perhaps this shouldn't seem all that strange to us;  Elizabeth II is, after all, Queen not only of England but of many other countries as well.  As a woman who is resident in Scotland for ten weeks of the year, Her Majesty may be acutely aware that not all parts of the United Kingdom appreciate being reminded of the sporting successes of the other component parts!  Also, in the Commonwealth beyond, the success of  England's footballers was unlikely to have much resonance.  When Elizabeth II talks about the importance of sport in her speeches, she likes to do so in a way which encourages unity rather than division;  so it was that England's greatest footballing achievement went unmentioned.

It is well known that Elizabeth II has scarcely changed her hairstlye since her Coronation in 1953.  However, at this point she seems to have entered the spirit of the 'swinging Sixties' to a limited extent and appears to be sporting quite an impressive bouffant;  in fact, there is almost a mini 'beehive' going on here!  The Queen reached forty in 1966 and her 'look' is subtly different from the previous year.

The arrangement of the Bow Room looks essentially the same as the previous two years although a sturdier desk has been brought in to replace the smaller table used in 1965.  The basic arrangement would remain when the Broadcast moved into colour the following year.

Notes:

Trying to get Elizabeth II to appear more relaxed on camera was still an issue.  In this year, Philip Gilbert, working on the second of three 1960s Broadcasts as an assistant producer, encouraged the Queen to smile: 'I put my face next to the camera and smiled to see what would happen. Her natural reaction was to smile back. But you can only do that once before someone knows what is coming.'  Gilbert would go on to produce the Broadcast from 1991 to 1996.

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