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.

Full text here

The 2004 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  The overriding message is the importance of understanding and tolerance between religions and cultures.  Elizabeth II explains how her own Christian beliefs have helped her appreciate this through the parable of the Good Samaritan.  The Queen's address culminates with an anecdote about a visitor to Britain travelling on the London Underground who, upon witnessing children from diverse ethnic backgrounds getting on and off at various stops during his journey, is impressed at how well they get along and how at ease they are with each other.

Commentary:  Viewed only a few years after its original broadcast, the 2004 message can look surprisingly political.  The Queen appears to embrace the virtues of multiculturalism and immigration with enthusiasm (although neither term is directly used), issues which were shortly to become open to widespread debate in the United Kingdom for the first time in decades.  It should be pointed out, however, that the Queen here is only reflecting what had been the consensus of the political mainstream since the 1970s, and it was difficult to foresee the sea-change in mainstream opinion which would begin within a year.  The 7th July London bombings which occurred within a few months of the 2004 Christmas message were carried out by British-born terrorists, which led many in the political and media spheres to question whether enough was being done in British Muslim communities to promote integration and tackle 'home grown' extremism.  In February 2011 British Prime Minister David Cameron declared state multiculturalism a failure, something which would have been unthinkable in December 2004.  Meanwhile, higher than expected levels of immigration from the European Union from 2005 onwards, mainly from white Eastern Europeans, enabled sections of the press to draw a distinction between the thorny issues of immigration and race. 

As was the norm by 2004, the broadcast is interspersed with unique footage of the royal family during the year.  At the start we see the Queen handing out presents to family members in Buckingham Palace, most notably her (then) youngest grandchild, Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of Earl and Countess Of Wessex, who was then just over a year old.  The camera then cuts to the Queen walking briskly to her position in front of the camera in the Yellow Drawing Room. Other footage shown includes the Queen at a Sikh temple and the Prince of Wales visiting a Muslim faith school, as well as the Duke of Edinburgh's work with the ARC.

Full text here 

The 2005 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  ITN

Theme:  After a year which included several notable disasters and tragedies, both man-made and natural,  beginning - as she states - with the Boxing Day tsunami the day after her 2004 Message was broadcast, the Queen's tone is in turn melancholy and hopeful. Elizabeth II refers to Hurricane Katrina, and also the 'vicious'  earthquakes which hit Pakistan and India.  The Queen then turns to the London bombings of 7th July: 'As if these disasters were not bad enough, I have sometimes thought that humanity seemed to have turned on itself, with wars, civil disturbances and acts of brutal terrorism', she laments.  The Queen says: 'This last year has reminded us that this world is not always an easy or a safe place to live in, but it is the only place we have.' However, on an optimistic note the Queen goes on to reflect how these disasters brought out the humanitarian instincts of people, who responded quickly with both financial and practical assistance.  Her Majesty observes that helping others is not a virtue unique to Christianity, although the world will be a better place if people try - sometimes with difficulty - to accept Christ's teaching.
  
Commentary:  In what has become something of a feature of ITN-produced Christmas broadcasts, the Queen speaks from two different settings within the same venue. This approach allows for breaks during filming, which while being perhaps less tiring for the Queen than filming in one long take as she prepared to enter her eighties, is also less monotonous for the viewer.  At the start of the broadcast, Her Majesty is seen walking down a corridor of Buckingham Palace, chatting with choristers from the Chapel Royal.  As the choirboys walk on (we presume to the Chapel), the Queen stops and begins her speech.  She concludes her address inside the Chapel, standing in front of a painting of the Madonna and Child, a reminder of the Christmas story.  The choristers sing the first verse of the carol 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' before Her Majesty's closing words.  In a pleasing final touch, the choirboys reprise the final line of the carol as she finishes speaking.

Full text here

The 2006 Broadcast

 

Location:  Southwark Cathedral

Produced by:  ITN

Theme:  In the year in which she had celebrated her eightieth birthday, Elizabeth II speaks of how the older generation can help bridge the generation gap with the young.  The Queen emphasizes the success of the various faith communities in harmonizing the different generations, based on the teachings of scripture and centuries of tradition.  While acknowledging the 'very generous response' to her eightieth birthday, Her Majesty speaks of her admiration of the 'energy and vitality' of young people, and how the wisdom and experience of the older generation can add a 'sense of context' to help them realize their ambitions.

Commentary:  While there is much to admire about the 2006 broadcast, ITN do not make the most of the unprecedented setting.  Never before had the Queen delivered her annual message from one of England's great religious buildings;  however we see very little of Southwark Cathedral.  Most of the Queen's narration takes place in front of a window (with the obligatory Christmas tree in view) which, while presumably within the precincts of Southwark Cathedral could, frankly, be anywhere.  Only in the closing moments of the broadcast, where the Queen speaks in front of the High Altar, does the viewer get a glimpse of this glorious building.  The broadcast would have been far more impressive visually if the bulk of the narration had been done from here.

The footage of the Queen mingling with adults and children involved in a community project is handled much better.  We see Her Majesty asking questions and making observations in an informal setting, then looking at the camera and narrating a few words of her address.

For the first time, the Christmas message was made available as a podcast.

Trivia:  In an embarrassing coincidence, in the period between the filming of the 2006 Message and its broadcast on Christmas Day, there were press reports that the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler, was witnessed leaving a party considerably the worse for wear.  The bishop (who did not appear in the broadcast) maintained that he had no recollection of the incident, and said that to have been drunk would have been 'entirely out of character.' 

Full text here 

The 2007 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme:  

 

On the fiftieth anniversary of her first televised broadcast, Elizabeth II reflects on the process of change, and how one becomes increasingly aware not only of change as one grows older, but also constant, unchanging values.  Recalling the diamond wedding anniversary she celebrated with the Duke of Edinburgh the previous month, Her Majesty emphasises the unchanging importance of a happy family.  The Queen reminds her audience that the Christmas story - the birth of Jesus - is also the story of a family.

Commentary:   

 

Here the BBC blended innovation with an impressive 'classic' look which would provide the template for the next few broadcasts.  Television technology had advanced over the past few years, which meant that the impressive interiors of Buckingham Palace (here the 1844 Room) could be seen in greater detail and in widescreen:  it was no longer a case of the Queen speaking from a desk in a corner.  Therefore, the BBC could take advantage of what is essentially an ideal ready-made set and returned to the enduring image of Her Majesty addressing her people from the Palace. 

The Queen's first televised broadcast from 1957 is used as the 'book ends' of this broadcast.  The original 1957 introduction (together with the playing of the national anthem) is used, and the Queen's opening words from that broadcast are heard.  The footage then blends into a monitor from which the Queen is seen to be watching, before Her Majesty begins her 2007 address.  At the end of the Broadcast, the Queen's festive greeting from the end of the 1957 message is replayed.

In a further development, this was the first Christmas message to be broadcast by Buckingham Palace on YouTube, on the newly created Royal Channel.

 

Notes:

 

This was the first time the 1844 Room had been used as the location for a Christmas Broadcast since 1961.

 

As well as providing an opportunity to observe technological developments between 1957 and 2007, viewers are also able to note any subtle changes in Her Majesty's accent over the period.

Full text here

The 2008 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  BBC

Theme: In what is sometimes described as a 'sombre' speech, the Queen refers to 'troubled times', and deals with the issues of the economic downturn, servicemen and women risking their lives in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the ninetieth anniversary of the end of the First World War.  Her Majesty also pays tribute to the work of her son, the Prince of Wales, who had celebrated his sixtieth birthday the previous month.  The Queen ends by recalling the example of Jesus in helping those in need.

Commentary:  Surprisingly, this was the first time that the Music Room of Buckingham Palace was used as the setting for a Christmas broadcast, and it was chosen by the Queen (as she mentions in the address) to mark the Christening of Prince Charles there sixty years earlier.  The large and elegant interior of the Music Room is an ideal venue for the widescreen and digital television age, and the effect is visually impressive.

The Broadcast contains footage of the Queen and other members of her family, including Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and the Countess Of Wessex at work during the royal year.  Prince Charles is, unsurprisingly, particularly well-showcased.  

At the end of the Broadcast, never before-seen private footage of the then 23 year old Princess Elizabeth with the infant prince Charles is played to the accompaniment of a choir of children singing O Little Town Of Bethlehem.

It was perhaps unfair of some sections of the media to describe the speech as 'sombre'.  It is true that the Queen often deals with serious issues and invariably uses her annual message to remember those who suffer, those in need and those who risk their lives in the line of duty. However, Elizabeth II almost always puts national difficulties within the positive context of the Christmas message and ends on an uplifting note.

Notes:  In the 1960s and 70s Elizabeth II had met with resistance from British prime ministers Harold Wilson and Edward Heath when she had attempted in her Christmas broadcast to refer to economic difficulties in the United Kingdom.  In 2008, however, incumbent prime minister Gordon Brown appears to have approved the Queen's words, perhaps because Her Majesty stresses the global nature of the financial crisis rather than speak of a specifically British problem.

Also shown in the Broadcast is poignant footage of the last three known British survivors of World War I, Henry Allingham, Harry Patch and Bill Stone, at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday the previous November.  All three had died by the following Remembrance Sunday.

Trivia:  Sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed that the Queen is wearing a more stylish-looking pair of rimless spectacles rather than her familiar plastic-framed glasses. 

Full text here

The 2009 Broadcast

Location:  Buckingham Palace

Produced by:  ITN

Theme:  In what she describes as 'a difficult year for many', the Queen acknowledges the work, dedication and risks encountered by the Armed Forces, especially those serving in Afghanistan, stating, 'the debt of gratitude owed to these young men and women, and to their predecessors, is indeed profound'. Her Majesty also stresses the importance of the Commonwealth, having recently attended a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Commentary:  After another difficult year for Britain and the Commonwealth, the Queen recalls the continuing recession and the growing number of casualties in Afghanistan.  The importance of the Commonwealth is a recurring theme in the Christmas broadcasts, as Elizabeth II has always taken her role as its Head very seriously.  Similarly, Her Majesty is acutely aware of her role as head of the Armed Forces and regularly remembers servicemen and women who endanger their lives in the call of duty, especially at times of combat;  this year footage from the Cenotaph in London is shown for the second year running as well as from other Remembrance commemorations.

For the second year running the Queen makes a brief reference to the economic difficulties being encountered by many.

Two versions of God Save the Queen are played in this Broadcast, blending the traditional with the innovative.  At the beginning, we hear the conventional arrangement, accompanied by images of Buckingham Palace appearing through nearly-bare trees in the winter subject; at the end of the Broadcast the same tune is played on steel drums by the Codringtons, a family from Trinidad. 

Production reverted to ITN, who built on the BBC's 'classic' look of the previous two years and created an aesthetically attractive feel to the 'set' with subtle use of lighting and long camera angles which took advantage of the grand surroundings of the White Drawing Room.

Notes:  One of the saddest sequences of footage ever used in a Christmas Broadcast is seen here, of the procession of coffins arriving in the United Kingdom after eight servicemen were killed in an unprecedented twenty-four hours of bloodshed in Afghanistan in July. The procession brought the town of Wootton Bassett to a standstill as hundreds of local people lined the streets as a mark of respect.

Trivia:  In the first decade of the twenty-first century, Buckingham Palace was firmly re-established as the 'default' location of the broadcast.  This was the eighth of the decade to be filmed here.

Full text here