The 1989 Broadcast

Location:  Royal Albert Hall, London

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  In a break with the traditional format, Her Majesty delivers her annual address to an invited audience at a Christmas concert for the Save The Children Fund in the Royal Albert Hall.  Her Majesty takes as her theme the plight of children and the environment, drawing attention to the fact that the future of both are intertwined.  The Queen cites environmental problems such as pollution and the 'greenhouse effect', but states that damage can be reduced if attitudes and behaviours change.  Elizabeth II also invokes Christ's message, "love thy neighbour as thyself" and maintains that the future will be better for today's children, as well as for the planet, if this message is heeded.

Commentary:  As 3pm came on Christmas Day 1989, I watched the television screen with horror as Elizabeth II strolled onto the stage of the Royal Albert Hall wearing a colourful dress which to me made her look like something closely resembling a harlequin:  what's going on?  is this how it is going to be from now on?  why isn't the Queen speaking from her desk at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle?  The important factor that makes the Christmas broadcasts so special and unique - the intimacy of the Queen speaking from her home to the viewer - was missing this year.  There is nothing 'special', I thought, about watching Elizabeth II give a speech to an assembled audience, since we see her do this on the television news regularly.

The 1989 broadcast is now more than a quarter of a century ago, and it can safely be described as a 'one off' and an historical curiosity;  it is therefore possible for traditionalists like me to consider its merits.

It had, in fact, been something of a 'cloak and dagger' operation, with the assembled gathering for the Christmas concert of the Save The Children Fund (of which her daughter, Princess Anne, was patron) having no idea that the Queen would actually speak, let alone give her Christmas message.  Elizabeth II had never before given her Christmas address in front of a public audience and in an attempt to maintain secrecy no reporters were allowed to the concert, only photographers. The Queen's aide Major Sir Michael Parker, who worked with David Attenborough on the production admitted to being 'petrified'; it was certainly a brave project given the partial leak of the Christmas message only two years earlier.

The experiment, however, has problems.   With an emphasis on child poverty and environmentalism (the 'greenhouse effect' was very much a current phrase in 1989), this is one of the most powerful Christmas speeches of the Queen's reign.  However, young children can have a tendency to fidget as well as be aware when they are on camera, and the background movement serves as a distraction that risks lessening the impact of Her Majesty's words.  In addition, with the Queen speaking to a large audience, there is the problem that this year the viewer does not feel that he or she is being addressed directly by the Monarch.

The true joy of this unique Broadcast is the final part.  After finishing her speech the Queen is led away from the stage by her daughter Princess Anne, with her seven-year-old (and somewhat camera-shy) grandson Prince William trailing behind, to a 'question-and-answer' session with some of the children.  It is well known that Elizabeth II does not give interviews, but this is one of the rare instances where she comes pretty close.  So good are some of the questions she is asked that Her Majesty sometimes appears awkward and occasionally a little bemused.  Some of the questions are obvious and predictable; but one is bound to wonder, did the children really come up with all of these questions?  Really?  Or was the influence of a slightly mischievous producer perhaps somewhere in the wings, making the most of this rare opportunity?  One gets the impression that the questions had genuinely not been previously agreed with the Queen.  Some examples:

Question:  'Do you like being the Queen?'
Queen: [cautiously] 'It's a very busy life...'

Question:  'What are you going to buy Prince William for Christmas?'
Queen:  'Well, I don't think I had better say it too loudly, because he might hear me, mightn't he?'

Question:  'Do you enjoy your job as the Queen?'
Queen:  'I find it very interesting, yes;  I've had lots of opportunities to meet people and visit countries.'

Question:  'Do you go to church at Christmas?'
Queen:  'Yes;  we go to church - all of us - on Christmas Day.  We sing some of the carols and Christmas hymns that everybody knows, which is very nice.'

And the final question, revealing Her Majesty's ever-present talent for a diplomatic response:  'Do you believe in Father Christmas?'
Queen:  'Do I believe in Father Christmas?  I like to believe in Father Christmas, yes.'

Trivia:

An amusing story has it that secrecy surrounding the copy of the speech was so tight that even Her Majesty's Private Secretary Sir William Heseltine was refused access to it by the stage manager shortly before it was required to be handed to the Queen.  The speech was eventually passed to Heseltine via royal events organiser Major Sir Michael Parker.

It is sometimes stated that this was the first Christmas message broadcast from a venue other than a royal residence.  While this is technically the case in the television age, it is often forgotten that Elizabeth II broadcast her 1953 radio message from Government House in Auckland, New Zealand;  the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were undertaking a six-month tour of the Commonwealth at the time.

With a running time of a little over eleven minutes, this is one of the longest Christmas broadcasts.  Only the 1999 production is a few seconds longer.

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The 1990 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  After briefly recalling two of the happier events from her family's year, Princess Eugenie's christening and the Queen Mother's ninetieth birthday celebrations, the Queen moves to the serious subject of the threat of war in the Persian Gulf and pays tribute to the Armed Services who were spending Christmas at their posts preparing for military action.  Elizabeth II condemns the invasion of Kuwait as 'an example on an international scale of an evil which has beset us at different levels in recent years - attempts by ruthless people to impose their will on the peaceable majority' and goes on to praise the 'almost unanimous' response of the international community in opposing it. 

Remembering that Christ 'did not promise the earth to the powerful', Her Majesty also praises the courage of those who go about their daily lives in defiance of danger and tyranny:  'By just getting on with the job, they are getting the better of those who want to harm our way of life.' 

The Queen also recalls the tributes paid earlier in the year to those involved in Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain fifty years earlier.

Commentary:  With war in the Middle East imminent, the 1990s had begun on an ominous note.  Indeed, in February 1991, Elizabeth II was moved to make a rare extra broadcast only eight weeks after the Christmas Message was released as British armed forces prepared to take part in the ground offensive to liberate Kuwait.

Despite the serious tone of the Message, this is visually a particularly attractive production.  With subdued lighting, candle-style tree lights together with cards and Christmas roses in the background, there is a comforting, homely feel to the broadcast.  The Queen herself appears to have undergone a subtle makeover for the occasion and looks especially endearing this year.  After the highly unusual Broadcast of 1989 it was a great relief to return to a pleasing, traditional 'classic' look in 1990,  not least given the context of an uncertain international situation.

Trivia:  Behind the scenes footage from this broadcast can be seen in the BBC's ground-breaking Elizabeth R documentary, shown in the early spring of 1992.  In the short sequence we see the Queen checking that the colour of her outfit blends in suitably with the background, as well as questioning the position of the microphone.

This was the last time Elizabeth II delivered her Christmas message without the aid of spectacles.

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The 1991 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  1991 had seen the election of Boris Yeltsin as the first democratically elected president of Russia; the end of the Soviet Union consequently marking the final collapse of communism in Eastern Europe which had begun in 1989.  The importance of freedom and democracy is therefore the major theme of Elizabeth II's speech.  The Queen observes how the beginning of her own reign in 1952 coincided with the start of the 'Cold War' and how the tensions between East and West built up in the ensuing years, only to change 'quite suddenly' and 'with bewildering speed' following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.  Her Majesty speaks of how the countries of Eastern Europe have taken their first tentative steps towards democracy, but reflects on how those of us in the West who are used to democracy should not take our freedoms for granted, should reflect on our 'good fortune' and  consider whether we can set an example for the newer democracies to follow.  One such way, the Queen suggests, is to play a role in our communities, singling out volunteers in various areas for praise.  However, the Queen cautions: 'But let us not take ourselves too seriously. None of us has a monopoly of wisdom and we must always be ready to listen and respect other points of view.'

Elizabeth II ends by acknowledging that 1992 will mark the fortieth anniversary of her Accession to the throne and states that she has tried to follow her father's example and serve 'as best I can'.  She ends by giving 'heartfelt thanks' to her subjects for their loyalty in return and gives a concluding pledge: 'I feel the same obligation to you that I felt in 1952. With your prayers, and your help, and with the love and support of my family, I shall try to serve you in the years to come.'

Commentary:  This was Elizabeth II's second broadcast of 1991;  the Queen had given a short address to the Commonwealth as British troops prepared to take part in the US-led ground offensive in the Gulf War.  Her hopes of a swift and successful campaign had been realised, in part thanks to almost unprecedented international co-operation in the liberation of Kuwait, but Her Majesty chose not to return to the subject in her Christmas message.

This could be  described as the last of the 'old school' Christmas Broadcasts.  It would be seven long years before production returned to its default home of Buckingham Palace and when it did the Regency Room, the familiar surroundings for more than twenty years, would not be seen again until 2016, twenty-five years later, as changes in style and technology led to a desire to make use of some of the more grand rooms in the Palace.  Production values are, in fact, rather basic here.  There is none of the subtle, twinkling, 'Christmassy' lighting which had characterised David Attenborough's previous productions;  the Queen sits behind her desk in front of a window in daylight and delivers an uninterrupted narrative.  Other than the presence of the by now obligatory Christmas tree there is little to distinguish this from any production since the beginning of the colour television age.

Trivia:  Elizabeth II's transition to her natural hair colour was by now complete.  The slow transformation first became noticeable in 1988 and (to the keen-eyed viewer) the change in its later stages can be observed throughout the BBC's Elizabeth R documentary, broadcast in early 1992.

 

This was the first time that the Queen wore spectacles to deliver her Christmas Message. 

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The 1992 Broadcast

Location:  Sandringham

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:   

 

In a year in which Elizabeth II had seen the collapse of the marriages of three out of her four children (the youngest, Prince Edward, was as yet unmarried), unprecedented scrutiny of her tax and financial affairs and a fire which badly damaged her favourite home of Windsor Castle, the Queen, as expected, refers to her personal problems at the end of what she herself described as her annus horribilis.  After speaking of the comforting, familiar surrounding of Sandringham, the venue of many happy Christmases throughout her life, Her Majesty acknowledges her family's difficulties in this 'sombre' year:  'Like many other families, we have lived through some difficult days this year. The prayers, understanding and sympathy given to us by so many of you, in good times and bad, have lent us great support and encouragement. It has touched me deeply that much of this has come from those of you who have troubles of your own.'  However, the Queen draws strength from the work of Servicemen and women, aid workers and the courage of humanitarian Leonard Cheshire during his terminal illness which helped her to put her own problems into perspective.  The Queen looks ahead to 1993 on a positive note with renewed hope:  'I and my family, as we approach a new year, will draw strength from this faith in our commitment to your service in the coming years.'

Commentary:  

 

Seldom has a Christmas message from Elizabeth II been more keenly anticipated than that of 1992.  Never one to use her annual address to dwell on her own family's issues, this had been such an appalling year for the Monarchy that it was generally accepted that the Queen would address the subject of her difficulties.  When she does so, she downplays her problems with characteristic understatement, never once appearing sensationalistic.  It is seldom more apparent than here that Elizabeth II is a woman of faith and optimism. 

It is perhaps ironic that this worst of all years for the Queen should coincide with one of the most impressive Christmas broadcast productions in many years.  Philip Gilbert, who had replaced David  Attenborough as producer of the Broadcast, secured a return to Sandringham, the spiritual home of the Christmas Message, for the first time since the pre-recording of the broadcasts began in 1960.  The Sandringham 'cycle' would continue for the next five years.  As the Queen walks through the Small Drawing Room at the start of the production, talking about her father and grandfather, her childhood and her grandchildren, in the very place where she is spending Christmas, there is a genuinely personal feel to the broadcast at a time when Her Majesty needed the support and understanding of her subjects.  There is no interspersed footage to interrupt her words;  the focus is entirely on the Queen as she speaks from her home and from her heart and it strikes just the right note.  The production is rounded off perfectly as a montage of photographs from the Queen's forty year reign (there had been no major celebrations at her own request) are shown to the accompaniment of a soulful rendition of God Save The Queen.

There was to be one last painful twist in the annus horribilis involving the Christmas broadcast itself.  The text of the message was leaked to the Sun newspaper who printed the speech virtually word for word two days before broadcast, breaking normal embargo rules.  The Sun claimed to have done nothing illegal and to have obtained the story by 'good, old-fashioned techniques'.  However, the Queen was said to be 'very, very distressed' by the leak and her lawyers threatened legal action.  Ultimately, the Sun settled out of court and agreed to pay £200,000 to charity plus legal costs (Pimlott, The Queen, 1996).

Notes:

It is often wrongly supposed that Elizabeth II coined the term 'annus horribilis' during this Christmas message.  In fact, she had said it in a speech to the Guildhall the previous month.  The 'sympathetic correspondent' who used the term was later revealed to be the Queen's former courtier Sir Edward Ford.

 

The Sandringham guide book (2012 Diamond Jubilee edition) describes the Small Drawing Room thus: 'The delicate decoration of this room is reflected in the walls which are hung with English silk, manufactured in Suffolk.  Much of the porcelain is Meissen and Copenhagen acquired by the Princess of Wales in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.  The decoration is floral or musical, themes which continue on the set of three Sheraton-style armchairs which are painted with flowers and musical instruments.  The seat covers were worked by Queen Mary in 1935.'

 

The Christmas tree decorations seen here appear to be the same ones used in the Broadcast from Buckingham Palace the previous year.

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The 1993 Broadcast

Location:  Sandringham

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:   

 

After her infamous (and self-described) annus horribilis of 1992, Her Majesty returned to more general themes in this message.  After a personal reference to her surroundings of the Long Library and its historical associations with her family, the Queen turns to the topic of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the end of the First World War; reflecting on how in the modern 'global village', unlike the 1914-1918 conflict, the horrors of war are brought to us via television news.  However, Her Majesty observes that the pictures can also bring better news such as the peace processes in Northern Ireland and the Middle East which were much reported on in 1993.  The Queen goes on to praise those involved in international charity work for the benefit of others and ends by recalling the message of hope embodied by the Christ Child.

Commentary:   

 

In this, the second of Philip Gilbert's five Sandringham productions, the Long Library at Sandringham House is well showcased.  There are lingering wide-angle shots of the festively bedecked library at the start of the broadcast, while Her Majesty moves slowly from place to place during the early part of her speech.  This was the first time that the Library had been used as the location of the Christmas Message since Elizabeth II's first two televised broadcasts of 1957 and 1958.  In those days, of course, the speech was delivered 'live' and in black and white;  there had been obvious advances in television technology in the intervening thirty-five years.

As the tone of the Message moves from the old to contemporary issues of the day, the production lapses into untypical gimmickry.  The Queen stands alongside a strategically placed television set, on which is shown a montage of topical news footage;  usually Her Majesty would be allowed to simply refer to news events while speaking to the camera without recourse to such novelties.  By the end of the footage, Elizabeth II is seen in a more traditional position, seated behind a large desk, from where she completes the remainder of her speech.

Notes:

The large book open in front of the Queen is something of a mystery:  at times Her Majesty appears to be quoting from the King James Bible, but towards the end of her Message - from the same page - she reads part of a verse from the carol O Little Town Of Bethlehem!

In this year, Britain's Channel 4 broadcast its first Alternative Christmas Message timed, perhaps disingenuously, to clash directly with Elizabeth II's speech.  First featuring (rather cornily) the flamboyant writer Quentin Crisp, the programme has subsequently become something of a subversive tradition on the network, often featuring either eccentric celebrities or controversial public figures.

Elizabeth II has not varied her hairstyle much since her coronation in 1953, but is seen sporting untypically 'big' hair in this broadcast.

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The 2014 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  In a particularly moving broadcast, the Queen speaks on the subject of reconciliation.  Describing reconciliation as 'the peaceful end to conflict', Her Majesty draws attention to events during the year commemorating the centenary of the First World War.  The Queen explains that she was moved to silence by the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London, which drew huge crowds:  'For every poppy a life; and a reminder of the grief of loved ones left behind.'  The Queen recalls the sacrifice of those who lost their lives and also the famous spontaneous Christmas truce of 1914 between German and British soldiers in No Man's Land.

Elizabeth II speaks of the importance of sport in bringing people together, and how she witnessed the benefits of reconciliation during her visit to Belfast earlier in the year during her visit to the Crumlin Road Gaol, a prison during the Troubles but 'now a place of hope and fresh purpose'.  Reconciliation in Scotland, where a divisive referendum on independence was held during 2014 will, the Queen acknowledges, take time.

The Queen ends by reflecting on the carol Silent Night, and while hailing Jesus Christ as 'a role model of reconciliation and forgiveness' suggests that, in spite of war and discord, the Christmas truce of 1914 reminds us that 'peace and goodwill have lasting power in the hearts of men and women.'

Commentary:  The decade-long practice of releasing a 'taster' of the Christmas Broadcast on Christmas Eve via the media had by 2014 evidently ended.  The wisdom of this practice, which involved the issuing of film clips and publicity photographs of the Queen's speech, had always been questionable.  The intention had been to encourage viewers to watch on Christmas Day by offering a tantalising glimpse of the message, but the risk was that the early release of details might actually have depressed viewing figures because people thought that they already knew what was in it.  This year, all details regarding the Broadcast and the contents of the speech were embargoed until the morning of Christmas Day itself.

Despite the lack of official 'trailers', the 2014 message received a considerable amount of pre-publicity in the press which might not necessarily have been welcomed by the Palace.  In mid-December it was reported that Coral, a leading bookmaker, had suspended betting on Elizabeth II announcing her abdication in her annual address following an unusual amount of betting activity on the subject in the preceding days.  Despite official denials from the Palace, and one royal insider laughing off the suggestion of the end of the Queen's reign being announced in the far-flung corners of the Commonwealth (where, due to time differences, the Broadcast would be shown first), the rumours gained traction and were widely reported in the press and social media until the Broadcast was finally shown.  Needless to say Elizabeth II did not announce her abdication, and is highly unlikely ever to do so.

This was the second of the BBC's back-to-back broadcasts and is a polished production.  Without the 'roaming' camera that was used at the start of the 2013 broadcast there is a more settled feel, and the Queen is filmed in no more than three-quarter length, which looks better and more flattering than the full-length 'seated' Elizabeth II of the previous year.  The lilac and purple colour co-ordination of Her Majesty's dress with the tree decorations adds attractiveness and a quality look.  The production is filmed at the top end of Buckingham Palace's state dining room, looking through to the Blue Drawing Room (the venue of the previous year's Broadcast).  It might seem like an unlikely location for the Christmas Message, but it works.  At the beginning of the programme, God Save the Queen is played by the band of the Royal Marines in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.  The band are seen again at the end playing Silent Night.

As she ages, Elizabeth II's words seem somehow more poignant and her broadcasting style more natural.  This is particularly striking when, as so often in recent years, Her Majesty speaks of her personal Christian faith, and also when she says how touched she has been by those who have gone, at personal risk, to help with the Ebola crisis in Africa.

The 2014 Message was a surprise hit in the UK, topping the Christmas Day ratings according to early data.  It was speculated that the abdication rumours might have helped boost viewing figures, assisted by a general fall in television audiences resulting in reduced viewing figures for other shows.  The success of the Broadcast is particularly notable in that there was no major family news during 2014 on which the Queen had been anticipated to reflect.

Trivia:

The embossed brass box on the table at the Queen's side is from the Sailors & Soldiers Christmas Fund created by Princess Mary, the then seventeen-year-old daughter of King George V and Queen Mary (who are in the framed photographs on the table), to provide gifts from the nation for those serving in the Great War at Christmas, 1914.  The boxes sent out contained gifts according to which group was receiving them.

This was the first time since the 1980s that Elizabeth II had worn a double-strand pearl necklace for her Christmas message rather than her usual three-strand pearls.  This necklace is longer than is typically worn by Her Majesty and the pearls are larger.  The Queen wore this (or at any rate  an almost identical necklace) for several Broadcasts during the 1970s and 1980s.

Elizabeth II caused something of a stir on Twitter when she referenced the popular fantasy drama Game of Thrones in her speech.  The Queen had toured the set of the show during her visit to Belfast the previous June.  It is highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for the Queen to mention specific television programmes in her Broadcasts.

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The 1994 Broadcast

Location:  Sandringham

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:   

Peace and freedom are at the heart of this address.  1994 had seen events to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the D-Day landings, and the Queen recalls her trip to northern France for the commemorations in June, to pay tribute 'to the courage of those who took part in that epic campaign' and recalled her own memories of the anxious wait for news of friends and relatives involved in the dangerous operation of 1944.

Elizabeth II also speaks of her visit to post-Soviet Russia, where in St. Petersburg she and the Duke of Edinburgh had honoured the 'millions of patriotic Russians' who died fighting the enemy and also seen Christianity flourish in the cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin as religious freedoms were restored.

The Queen highlights achievements in Northern Ireland, South Africa and the Middle East which, she says,  show peace is worth striving for.

Her Majesty also looks ahead to the celebrations to mark the end of the Second World War in 1995.

Commentary:   

With Sandringham now becoming familiar as the location of the Christmas message, this Broadcast has a cosy 'at home with the Queen' feel.  The room is attractively lit and the viewer can see the Sandringham gardens through the window behind Her Majesty.

Memorable scenes from the D-Day commemorations are shown in the opening minute of the Broadcast while Her Majesty's words recalling her trip to Russia are illustrated by some fascinating specially-shot footage.  As freedom spread throughout the world in the 1990s, Elizabeth II would in subsequent Broadcasts be able to reflect on her visits to other countries where earlier in her reign she would not have been able to countenance going to, such as South Africa and Poland.

The last couple of minutes of the production comprises a rousing and flourish-filled vocal version of God Save the Queen, with both familiar verses sung, accompanied by archive footage from the Queen's year.  The idea, successfully deployed, appears to be to bring out the meaning of this anthem which is such a familiar tune at ceremonial and sporting occasions.

Notes:   

An amusing anecdote from the 1994 Broadcast was later recalled by producer Philip Gilbert, who remembers one of Her Majesty's corgis sneaking onto the 'set' while recording was in progress and nuzzling against the Queen's leg as she spoke:  'Without anything showing on camera, she put her hand down and held the dog still, while continuing with the final third of her speech as if nothing had happened.'  If one looks closely, the Queen appears to sway gently from side to side at times towards the end of her speech, perhaps as she controls her canine companion.

It has been recalled that the 1994 Broadcast was filmed in the Study at Sandringham.  If true, this is more significant than has been remembered because it is the room from which King George V delivered the very first live Royal Christmas Message in 1932 and from where Elizabeth II gave her own first Christmas Day speech as Queen in 1952.  For twenty-five years this was the 'default' location of the Broadcast, until the arrival of television cameras in 1957 resulted in the larger Long Library being used instead.  The Queen does not mention the room that she is speaking from in her speech, nor does present-day Internet research reveal any apparent contemporary evidence to confirm it; but a close look at footage from the Study of Sandringham House seen in the 2015 BBC documentary Cue the Queen does indeed suggest that this is the same room, making this the one and only time that the Study has been seen in a televised Christmas Broadcast.

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