The 1988 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  1988 had seen several notable centenary anniversaries and Elizabeth II reflects on some of those she had been involved in - the four hundredth anniversary of the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, three hundred years since the 'Glorious Revolution' when William and Mary were invited to take the British throne as co-monarchs after the deposition of King James II and the year-long Bicentennial celebrations in Australia marking the country's two hundredth birthday.  Her Majesty also notes that Christmas is the time when the anniversary of the birth of Christ is remembered.

In an additional message, the Queen recalls three recent tragedies - the Lockerbie air disaster, the Clapham train accident and the Armenian earthquake.

Commentary: By the time of the Lockerbie bombing on 21st December, the Christmas Message had already been recorded.  However, this terrorist atrocity had shocked Britain and the world and it was inconceivable that the Queen would not make reference to it.  An unprecedented decision was taken to record a short audio message in which Her Majesty speaks of widespread 'shock and distress' over the Lockerbie crash and also two other disasters which had occurred in December, the Clapham Junction rail crash on 12th December which had left 35 dead and 500 injured, and the devastating earthquake in Armenia.  The recording, in which the Queen speaks calmly yet movingly, was released on Christmas Eve and broadcast again on Christmas Day after the main message.

The 1988 Bicentenary had inspired a year-long spectacle of pride, excitement and partying amongst the Australian people.  What was rather more of a surprise was how much the four hundredth anniversary of the defeat of Philip II's Armada had captured the public imagination in the United Kingdom, with beacons being lit up and down the country, countless school projects and television documentaries to celebrate the event.  It was therefore natural that Elizabeth II should concentrate on anniversaries in this broadcast.

By now, producer David Attenborough was establishing his cosy, 'Christmassy' corner in the Regency Room of Buckingham Palace. The soft lighting and presence of a Christmas tree are continued from the previous year;  The Queen, for her part, makes notable use of visual material to illustrate her speech, including early prints of Sidney Harbour and pointing out a beautiful Nativity scene from a medieval 'Book of Hours'.

Trivia:

During the recording of the 1988 message, producer David Attenborough 'vetoed'  the Queen's choice of the 'searing acid green dress' she was wearing because he believed it would clash with the wallpaper in the Regency Room.    Her Majesty complied, but was clearly unamused when she re-appeared in a more muted shade: “There is no pleasing you people from the media. I am told by one lot that I have to wear something colourful so I can be seen in a crowd – and then you come along and tell me I have to wear something pale and nondescript.”  When advised that the alternative was to re-paper the room, the horrified monarch replied, 'Re-paper the room!  Have you any idea how much that would cost?'  When assured that this was just a joke, the Queen's response was, 'in that case, it was a very bad one.'

Elizabeth II's slow transition to her natural hair colour, which would not be complete until the early 1990s, was by now becoming apparent.

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The 2015 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  ITN

Theme:  As well as reflecting on the tradition of the Christmas tree as a symbol of light and goodwill, Elizabeth II also observes that there have been 'monents of darkness' in 2015 - an allusion to terrorist atrocities such as those in Paris and Tunisia - though she takes heart from words in the Gospel of John, 'The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it'.

Her Majesty also remarks upon celebrations earlier in the year commemorating seventy years since the end of the Second World War which honoured the remaining veterans of that conflict.

The Queen ends by reminding the viewer of Christ's unchanging message, 'not of revenge or violence', but that we should love one another; a message which should not discourage but inspire.

Commentary:  In 2015 Elizabeth II became the longest reigning monarch in British history, surpassing Queen Victoria's record of 63 years and 216 days.  Her Majesty has remained modest about the achievement, not least because it was only made possible by the early death of her father, King George VI, and does not mention it in her message.  However, the Queen does make references to the birth of her youngest grandchild, Princess Charlotte - 'this year my family has a new member to join in the fun' - and her own forthcoming ninetieth birthday celebrations in 2016:  'I have been warned I may have Happy Birthday sung to me more than once or twice'.

A few days before broadcast it was reported that the 2015 message was set to be Elizabeth II most 'overtly Christian yet'.  While the speech does indeed have the strong Christian framework that has been particularly noticeable in recent years, it is arguable that it is still difficult to top Her Majesty's 2011 message for sheer evangelising zeal.

Production of the broadcast reverted to ITN for the first time since 2010.  The venue chosen is Buckingham Palace's 18th Century Room, the chief reception room of the Belgian Suite, where visiting heads of State stay at the Palace (an obvious choice for the second of ITN's back-to-back production in 2016 would be the Belgian Suite's Carnarvon Room).  The 'set' looks cosy and natural; quite a change from several years of the more grand state rooms being used.  The 'seated' set-up looks a considerable improvement on the previous two years, with the Queen appearing more relaxed and comfortable.  The Christmas tree, only introduced into the broadcasts by David Attenborough in the late 1980s, is particularly prominent in this production as the tradition forms part of Her Majesty's message;  at the start of the broadcast there are some close-up shots of the tree decorations before the camera cuts to the Queen.

The production begins with some sumptuous high definition pictures of the front of Buckingham Palace followed by a montage of stock footage from Elizabeth II's year, accompanied by a soulful rendition of God Save The Queen.  The broadcast ends with the choristers of the Chapel Royal, St. James' Palace singing the carol Away In A Manger in the 18th Century Room.

Trivia:  

Early reports stated that the Queen's Christmas message topped the Christmas Day television ratings in the UK for the second year running, with a combined BBC/ITV audience of 7.5 million.


The distinctive brooch Her Majesty wears during the broadcast is an art deco diamond and aquamarine piece previously owned by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

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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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