Sitting down to watch the royal Christmas Day speech while digging into a tub of Quality Street is a key feature for many of us on December 25th. It's a tradition that has been upheld by Queen Elizabeth II for 70 years, but now the Christmas Day speech will fall to the Queen's son, King Charles III.
The Christmas Day speech typically reflects current issues and concerns, and has "acted as a chronicle of global, national and personal events which have affected The Queen and her audience."
Will there be a King's Speech on Christmas Day 2022?
After succeeding his mother as monarch, 2022 will see King Charles continue the 90-year tradition and give his very first Christmas Day speech. It is expected that he will pay tribute to his late mother.
When will the King's Christmas Day speech be?
Just like in previous years, the Royal Christmas Message will be broadcast by the BBC on TV, radio and online at 3pm on Christmas Day, December 25th.
What did the Queen say in her last Christmas Day speech?
In 2021, the Queen gave her last Christmas message, where she paid tribute to Prince Philip, her late husband. She said: "In the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work – from around the country, the Commonwealth and the world. His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation – were all irrepressible. That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him."
Her Majesty also looked forward to her Platinum Jubilee which marked her 70-year reign, saying she hoped it "will be an opportunity for people everywhere to enjoy a sense of togetherness; a chance to give thanks for the enormous changes of the last seventy years - social, scientific and cultural - and also to look ahead with confidence."
When did the monarch's Christmas Day speech tradition begin?
The very first Christmas speech was broadcast over wireless radio in 1932 by The Queen’s grandfather, King George V. Written by author Rudyard Kipling (who wrote The Jungle Book), the King noted the technology would "bring immense possibility to make [the union of the Commonwealth] stronger still."
The Christmas speech has been broadcast every year on TV by the BBC since 1957. However, in 1969, it was decided not to air a speech because the family had made a documentary film earlier in the year: ‘The Royal Family.' Instead, the Queen released a written statement instead where she wrote: "I want you all to know that my good wishes are no less warm and personal because they come to you in a different form."