Location: Buckingham Palace
Produced by: BBC
Theme:
The Queen blends the theme of the Christmas story with technological development as she links the launch of the Telster communications satellite, which for the first time allowed near-instantaneous transmission of news images all around the world, with the story of the Wise Men following the Star of Bethlehem. 'Following a star', Her Majesty argues, can have many meanings besides venturing into space: 'The wise men of old followed a star: modern man has built one. But
unless the message of this new star is the same as theirs our wisdom
will count for nought. Now we can all say the world is my neighbour and
it is only in serving one another that we can reach for the stars.'
Commentary:
Although not stated in the Queen's text, the Christmas Broadcast has always reflected advances in technology and 1962 marked thirty years since King George V throatily imparted his festive greetings to the Empire from behind his desk at Sandringham - an event which itself had been intended to promote the new medium of radio. This year also marked ten years since Elizabeth II's own first Christmas message; in 1952 the young Queen had broadcast live over the wireless from Sandringham just as her grandfather had done.
By 1962, the Christmas Broadcast was televised and pre-recorded and producers had a problem. As Ben Pimlott states in The Queen, viewing figures were slipping alarmingly and criticisms were being made that the annual Message had become bland. The issue was compounded by the Queen's notoriously wooden camera style. One BBC official observed: 'We can never rely on the Queen doing a much better performance than this Christmas. The text is however all important and needs to be less stilted and more human if the Queen is to continue to command full attention as the years roll by.' The British prime minister tried and failed to persuade the monarch to change the 'style and content' of the annual address, while the BBC, who had fought so hard for a televised message told the Palace that in the interests of spontaneity they would be happy to return to a sound only broadcast provided it were live (Pimlott, The Queen, 1996). Although the BBC had not hidden the fact that the speech was now pre-recorded, it wasn't exactly publicised, either. Audiences were beginning to catch on that the Message was no longer live and that the lack of spontaneity was perhaps affecting Elizabeth II's performance. This would continue to be a problem for years to come.
1962 marked the first appearance in a Christmas Message of Buckingham Palace's Regency Room. This was perhaps an attempt by producers to soften the look and feel of the broadcast after the use of state rooms in 1960 and 1961 had made that Palace look rather cold and stark in black and white. The Regency Room would not be seen again until 1971, when it would begin its long period of dominance as the 'default location' of the Broadcast which would endure until 1991. Seated on a sofa, the aim appears to be to try to replicate the more relaxed Elizabeth II of the 1958 Broadcast from Sandringham.
Notes:
Elizabeth II would continue to return to the theme of advances in technology over the years. Being hailed as an example of technological progress is, after all, how the Royal Christmas Message was born back in 1932 and the Broadcast has often been at the forefront of new developments in television technology.
The sofa used here is more formal and regal than the Regency Room sofa that was seen on occasion in subsequent years.
Elizabeth II wears the distinctive True Lover's Knot Brooch, once owned by Queen Mary.
Full text here
1962 marked the first appearance in a Christmas Message of Buckingham Palace's Regency Room. This was perhaps an attempt by producers to soften the look and feel of the broadcast after the use of state rooms in 1960 and 1961 had made that Palace look rather cold and stark in black and white. The Regency Room would not be seen again until 1971, when it would begin its long period of dominance as the 'default location' of the Broadcast which would endure until 1991. Seated on a sofa, the aim appears to be to try to replicate the more relaxed Elizabeth II of the 1958 Broadcast from Sandringham.
Notes:
Elizabeth II would continue to return to the theme of advances in technology over the years. Being hailed as an example of technological progress is, after all, how the Royal Christmas Message was born back in 1932 and the Broadcast has often been at the forefront of new developments in television technology.
The sofa used here is more formal and regal than the Regency Room sofa that was seen on occasion in subsequent years.
Elizabeth II wears the distinctive True Lover's Knot Brooch, once owned by Queen Mary.
Full text here
