The 2013 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  The theme of the 2013 message is reflection.  Her Majesty speaks of the importance of finding the right balance 'between action and reflection', remarking that Christmas is often a time to pause and take stock, whether it be contemplating our lives or a spiritual renewal of faith.  In a year which saw the sixtieth anniversary of her coronation, the Queen observes that she herself had cause to reflect on her vow of service.  However, the Queen states that reflection is not only about looking back, but also looking forward, and she looks ahead to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and also comments on the birth and christening of Prince George in 2013:  'Here at home my own family is a little larger this Christmas'.

Commentary:  After five long years, production returned to the BBC, who for sixty years had enjoyed the monopoly of the broadcast.  There is no attempt in the 2013 production to emulate Sky's visual spectacular of the previous year;  to try would probably have proved futile, given the 'one off' nature of the Diamond Jubilee year.  Instead, the BBC goes for a classic look, and for the first time since 2002 Her Majesty delivers her message from a seated position.   The Queen speaks from the Blue Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace, sitting in a chair at the side of a small table on which stands photographs of her parents, as well as  the 'four generations' photograph from Prince George's christening.

2013 witnessed the rare event of the birth of a direct heir to the British throne, and exclusive behind the scenes footage  from Prince George's christening is shown during the broadcast.

The broadcast ends with footage of the bands of the Coldstream and Irish guards playing the carol 'The First Nowell' in the quadrangle of Buckingham Palace.

Notes:

It is likely that, despite being stuffed with turkey, pudding and a glass or two of something slightly stronger than orange juice, the attention of millions of viewers was grabbed by Her Majesty's unlikely opening words 'I once knew someone who spent a year in a plaster cast'.  It has been speculated that the man she was talking about was former British prime minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home, a long-time friend of the royal family who had been a childhood friend of the Queen Mother.  As a young man, Home had been forced to spend a year in a full body cast as part of the gruelling treatment of the time for spinal tuberculosis.  Home later famously renounced his peerage to enable him to become prime minister in 1963 and, according to convention, become a member of the House of Commons.

Trivia: 

The yellow dress worn by Elizabeth II during the broadcast, designed by Angela Kelly, was previously worn by her at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011.

The brooch Her Majesty wears was a gift from her parents, celebrating the birth of Prince Charles in 1948.

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The 2012 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  Sky

Theme:  The Queen reflects on a year of celebration, which included her Diamond Jubilee commemorations in June and the London Olympics later in the summer.  Her themes are fellowship, friendship, togetherness and the human spirit.  Her Majesty recalls the Jubilee river pageant on the Thames, where thousands of people enjoyed themselves, 'undaunted by the rain', watching numerous and diverse craft sail down the river.  The Queen observes that the same spirit was witnessed in the 'splendid summer of sport' which saw the Olympic and Paralympic Games come to London.  Elizabeth II also draws attention to volunteers, those in armed and emergency services away from their families at Christmas and those who have lost loved ones.  From a Christian perspective, the Queen comments on how 'togetherness' is at the heart of the Christmas story: ‘A young mother and a dutiful father with their baby were joined by poor shepherds and visitors from afar. They came with their gifts to worship the Christ child.’

Commentary:  The 2012 broadcast is arguably the most visually beautifully of them all.  The Queen dazzles in a fine silk tulle dress by Angela Kelly, which gives an impression of shimmering diamonds.  She stands in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace, richly decorated with flowers and a Christmas tree; behind her the viewer can see through to the Music Room, and the Blue Drawing Room behind that.  The effect is truly stunning.  Also, the Ballroom of Buckingham Palace is featured twice during the broadcast:  at the start when the British Paraorchestra play God Save the Queen, and at the end when the Military Wives Choir sing In the Bleak Midwinter.  The latter is blended beautifully as the choir hum the melody to the sound of Her Majesty's closing words before singing the carol.

In another technological development, this was the first of Elizabeth II's Christmas messages to be filmed in 3D, and Her Majesty is shown in publicity material wearing 3D glasses watching the broadcast, which she is said to have described as 'absolutely lovely'.  Indeed it is, and in their second production Sky set a very high standard.

In a rare occurrence, the Queen made two television broadcasts during 2012.  Back in June she had filmed a brief message to thank those involved in the success of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

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The 2000 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  After a year of events, celebrations and millennium projects, Elizabeth II takes the new millennium to its roots: it marks the birth of Jesus Christ two thousand years ago.  The Queen reflects on Christ's life and ministry, and how still today there still reminders of his life and impact everywhere, such as cathedrals and abbeys and Church music.  The measure of Christ's impact, the Queen suggests, is seen in the good works done daily throughout the centuries by those who seek to follow his example.

Commentary:  After the hype of the unusual 'ground-beaking' 1999 broadcast, in many ways the 2000 broadcast is reassuringly traditional. The 'sofa set' looks pleasing and cosy, and has an appealling informal feel about it which makes a refreshing change from the desks and tables of the preceding years. The Queen speaks from the Spanish Room in the Belgian Suite of Buckingham Palace, and from the moment she begins her speech she is uninterrupted by film footage for the first time in several years.

However, the production is in many ways idiosyncratic.  Although the Queen speaks with the camera's full attention, it is almost five minutes into the broadcast before we actually see or hear Her Majesty deliver her address.  The first part of the programme consists of footage of the royal year, shown chronologically in 'diary format':  January-December.  Much of this segment, including some moments exclusive to the broadcast, is interesting:  there is a conversation between Her Majesty and the then Archbishops of Canterbury and York about Elizabeth II's visit to Rome earlier in the year; there are a number of clips of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Australia (including an amusing moment when the Queen visits a school and a child asks whether she brought her crown: 'No I didn't', Her Majesty replies, 'well, I can't get it out of the Tower of London!').

Presumably a decision was taken to keep the two sections separate, as they did not blend together naturally.  That is probably sensible as far as it goes, but then the gimmicks start.  The two segments are linked by the Queen switching off a television when the outgoing (and by then beleaguered) US president Bill Clinton appears:  the aim is presumably to give the impression that the Queen had been watching, and it looks just as unconvincing as when something similar had been attempted in the 1993 broadcast.  Worse than this, however, is the idea of having the Queen deliver her speech from three different positions without the usual subtle tactic of editing in footage to ease the transformations. Her Majesty goes in turns from window, to fireplace, to sofa, pausing briefly from her speech each time.  The Queen performs this curious manoeuvring with impeccable elegance, but it still looks odd.  Surely it would have been better to do the whole speech from the same position, with a combination of wide-angles, close-ups and panning to relieve the monotony.

Trivia:

Sofas were 'in' at the turn of the millennium - after all, this was the era of 'sofa government'.  The idea of the Queen delivering her message from a sofa was not new (she had given her annual address from this very sofa on a number of occasions in the 1970s), but she had not done so for many years. 

Curiously, the one hundredth birthday celebrations of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, perhaps the major royal event of 2000, are not mentioned by the Queen.  However, clips from the event are shown during the footage segment, and it should be recalled that Her Majesty did refer to her mother's ninety-ninth birthday celebrations in the previous broadcast.

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The 2001 Broadcast

Location: Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  ITN

Theme:  Christmas 2001 took place in the shadow of the events of 11th September, and the world was still stunned by the chilling new form of terrorism which had emerged that day.  It had also been a year in which Britain and other parts of the globe had been at the mercy of forces of nature.  Elizabeth II's message therefore takes on a serious tone as she reflects on disasters, both natural and man-made. Her Majesty recalls the floods and foot-and-mouth outbreak in sheep and cattle that had hit the UK, as well as droughts and famine elsewhere.  However, the Queen points out that it was the intentionally destructive atrocities in the United States in September that appalled people most.  The Queen observes that it is at times of tragedy (as well as at times of celebration) that we look to the Church to bring us together as a nation , and she talks of the importance of faith in sustaining us.  On a positive note, the Queen reflects on the unifying importance of communities in giving help, support and a sense of belonging in difficult times.

Commentary:  ITN resumed production on what the Queen herself observed was her fiftieth Christmas message.  However, in many respects the broadcast is visually so similar to the BBC's production of the previous year that one could be forgiven for assuming that it was made by the same team.  The broadcast maintains the good elements of the 2000 production, but thankfully does not repeat some of the quirkier gimmickry.  Her Majesty begins her speech while standing at a window, and is later seated on a sofa, just as a year earlier.  This transition tastefully occurs while footage is being shown of the memorial services for the victims of the 11th September atrocities which the Queen attended, at St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.  The room used has a cosy quality which allows for a pleasant 'at home with the Queen' effect, and is not one of the grander state rooms of Buckingham Palace - the sofa looks decidedly more 'Ikea' than 'Regency'!  This is a rarely seen room at the Palace and the publicity of the time did not appear to identify it, but looking at its location with regard to the window, it looks as though it forms part of the guest suite on the iconic East Wing.  A nice touch is a neatly-stacked dish of chocolate truffles on the table at the side of the sofa.  One can imagine Elizabeth II putting her feet up here, watching television or doing the crossword, even if in reality she does not!

The choice of this room, overlooking the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, was presumably made to allow for the most pleasing aspect of the broadcast.  At the start, a band of guardsmen play God Save the Queen on the forecourt, and as the music closes the Queen, who appears to have been watching, turns away from the window and looks towards the camera.

The broadcast ends with images of people singing Christmas carols to the Queen, followed by footage of the royal family at work over the past year accompanied by the carol Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

Trivia:  While this is, as the Queen states, her fiftieth Christmas message, it is only her forty-ninth broadcast.  The 1969 Christmas message was issued in written form, as the behind-the-scenes documentary Royal Family was already being shown on Christmas Day.

The Queen does not mention that she is about to embark upon her Golden Jubilee year, although it is acknowledged by one of the carollers at the end of the broadcast who offers the group's good wishes.

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The 2002 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  ITN

Theme:  'As I look back over these past twelve months, I know that it has been about as full a year as I can remember.'  So begins Elizabeth II's speech at the end of her Golden Jubilee year, and her words are no exaggeration.  The early part of 2002 had seen the Queen's sad double bereavement - the deaths of her sister, Princess Margaret, in February, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, in March.  In a way, however, the departure of the older generation of the royal family cleared the stage for the Queen, and in June Her Majesty became the object of an outpouring of affection during the extraordinary long weekend that marked the Golden Jubilee festivities, which was followed by a busy nationwide tour.

The contrasting emotions Elizabeth II had experienced during the year sets the tone for one of the most personal Christmas messages of her reign.  In many ways the speech echoes the 'silken twine' theme of the 1997 broadcast - contrasting joy with sadness.  The Queen pays tribute to her late mother and sister, and thanks members of the public whose support and 'generous tributes' had sustained her in her grief.  She moves on to talk about the joy of the Golden Jubilee celebrations and the importance of anniversaries in our lives; but more than just a celebration, the Golden Jubilee brought a sense of pride, belonging and shared common heritage which was 'more lasting and profound'.

The closing words of the broadcast give an illuminating insight into what may be the personal philosophy of Queen Elizabeth II, as she speaks of the guiding light of her own Christian faith:

'Each day is a new beginning, I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God'.

The Queen and Prince Philip ride in the Gold State Coach, June 2002

Commentary:  Surrounded by photographs of her parents and her sister, and wearing the Centenary Rose brooch which she had given her mother as a gift for her one hundredth birthday in 2000, Elizabeth II was now the last survivor of the family that her father, George VI, called 'We Four'.  Although Her Majesty seems a slightly more fragile figure than she had done the previous Christmas, it is clear that she had been deeply moved by the love of so many of her people during the triumphant Golden Jubilee celebrations:  life went on, and her reign went on.

The mood is set well at the start of the broadcast:  first we see joyous reminders of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, including the Queen in the magnificent Gold State Coach, accompanied by Handel's glorious coronation anthem 'Zadoc the Priest', followed by images of the sombre pageantry of the Queen Mother's funeral.  The Queen is filmed seated at a table in the White Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace, a similar set-up to the broadcasts of 1997 and 1998, after the 'sofa Queen' of the previous two years.  The only major innovation is that the camera zooms in to a somewhat alarming close-up of Her Majesty during the closing moments of the speech.  This effect has not been seen before or since, so one can imagine that words were said quietly in private later!

In a major departure from tradition, for the first time trailers, including the theme of the message and short extracts from it, were given to media organisations for use in news bulletins prior to transmission.  It was thought that in a year when there was more than the usual interest in the Message, and in an age of falling television audiences, that this would be a good way of publicising the broadcast.  This has become the usual practice in subsequent years.  Previously, the contents of the Christmas broadcast had been handled with great secrecy until transmission.

This was the second time that Elizabeth II had addressed the nation in 2002.  The Queen had made a short broadcast in April on the eve of the Queen Mother's funeral, in which she paid tribute to her mother and thanked the public for their support.

Trivia:

Despite the anticipation and interest ahead of the 2002 Christmas broadcast, it appears that - unusually - no accompanying publicity photograph was released.  Instead a 'semi-official' (but rather grainy looking) screen capture was hastily issued.

As of 2012, this is the last time that the Queen delivered her Message from a seated position.

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The 2003 Broadcast

Location:  Combermere Barracks, Windsor

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  In the year of the Iraq War, a conflict which was ultimately far more lengthy and complicated than many had anticipated, the task of Armed Forces takes centre stage in the Queen's broadcast.  By Christmas of 2003 it was evident that although removal of Saddam Hussein had been relatively straightforward, British troops together with their American allies were now involved in a lengthy and bloody battle for the 'peace'.  Her Majesty recalls the bravery, dedication and achievements of those serving in the struggle to build 'a lasting peace in trouble spots across the globe'.  The Queen also speaks of the pain of separation between servicemen and women and their families, felt particularly keenly at Christmastime.

Commentary:  Throughout her reign Elizabeth II has displayed a  deep commitment to he role as head of the Armed Forces.  Given the undeniable and long-standing bond between the Queen and her troops, the choice of a barracks near her beloved Windsor home was fitting.  It was promoted at the time as being the first time that the Message had been filmed at a location other than one of the royal residences (while it could be argued that this is true in terms of the address in its traditional format, it should be noted that the highly unusual 1989 broadcast was filmed entirely at the Royal Albert Hall.  Also, the 1953 radio broadcast came live from Government House in Auckland, New Zealand, during the Queen and Prince Philip's tour of the Commonwealth).

The production begins with the Household Cavalry band playing 'God Save the Queen', which is then played over film footage of Her Majesty arriving by car at Combermere Barracks. For the first part of her address the Queen is filmed standing amongst armoured vehicles, which gives a striking and dramatic effect.  Her Majesty's words are interspersed with footage of her chatting with servicemen and women at the Barracks.  For the latter part of the speech the Queen speaks from the more familiar setting of a sitting room as she recites the prayer of Jesuit founder Ignatius Loyola, 'Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee as thou deservest'.

Following the recording, the Queen stayed briefly in hospital, where she underwent surgery to remove cartilage from her left knee, and also had a number of benign skin lesions (which are visible during the Broadcast) removed from her face.  Her Majesty had recovered sufficiently to attend church at Sandringham on Christmas Day.

In a further technological innovation, the broadcast was made available by telephone, with a unique number opened for the two weeks following transmission.

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The 2011 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Procuced by:  Sky

Theme:  The Queen speaks of courage and hope in adversity, recalling the natural disasters in Australia and New Zealand, and the tragedy which struck a Welsh mining community. Her Majesty highlights the importance of family, communities and friendship in the support and rebuilding process.  The Queen remarks that the marriages of two of her grandchildren have reminded her and Prince Philip of the importance of family.  In a strong message of Christian hope, the Queen explains that finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas, as Jesus was born into a fearful world, and the angels appeared to shepherds who were afraid, yet brought joyful news: 'God sent into the world a unique person - neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive', she says.

Commentary:  It is well-known that Queen Elizabeth II is a deeply committed Christian, and she almost always makes references to her own faith in her Christmas broadcasts.  Nevertheless, the 2011 broadcast is the most robustly Christian in tone we have seen for decades: 'It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord', she says at the end of her message.  So resounding is this tone, that some commentators have argued that in concentrating on the supporting themes of the speech, media organisations such as the BBC have, deliberately or otherwise, missed the point.

It had been announced in January 2011 that Sky News would join the BBC and ITN in producing the Christmas broadcast on a two-yearly rota basis, beginning with the 2011 broadcast.  Despite the fact that Sky is a subscription broadcaster, and owned by News Corporation, which with embarrassing timing would be hit by scandal during the course of the year, it produces a high quality news service which rivals the BBC, and it would have been difficult for Palace officials to turn down its request to become involved.  Whatever  discussions and disagreements might have taken place during the planning stages remain firmly hidden behind the scenes, but what emerged was a largely traditional format, based on the 2007 'template' for recent broadcasts (indeed, the 1844 Room in Buckingham Palace is used here for the first time since 2007).  The only 'innovation' looks more of a gimmick:  The Queen is filmed at various intervals by a second camera, while looking at the main camera.  This technique is common in television news, but it seems odd to see the Queen given the appearance of a newsreader returning to deliver the headlines at the top of the hour!  In general, however, this is a good first production by Sky.

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