Queen Elizabeth’s first televised Christmas greeting
For many of us, the Queen’s televised message has been part and parcel of our Christmas tradition.
When she ascended the throne 1952, Her Majesty took on the monarch tradition of delivering a Christmas speech to the public through the radio, following in the footsteps of her grandfather King George V and her father King George VI.
Five years later, the Queen made her television debut after she accepted the BBC’s request to read her Christmas message live from the Sandringham Estate. Since then, the monarch has continued to appear on television screens across the UK and the Commonwealth nations every year to send her wishes. The only exception was 1969, when the Queen opted to write her message instead of broadcasting it.
This week, the royal family shared on Instagram a throwback to the Queen’s first televised message, 62 years on.
“Twenty-five years ago, my grandfather broadcast the first of these Christmas messages,” the then-31-years-old Queen said in the clip.
“Today is another landmark, because television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day.
“My own family often gather around to watch television, as they are at this moment, and that is how I imagine you now.
“I very much hope this new medium will make my message more personal and direct. It’s inevitable that I should seem a rather remote figure to many of you … but now, at least for a few minutes, I welcome you to the peace of my own home.”