Most die-hard fans of the royal family would probably find it impossible to imagine Christmas Day without a televised message from Her Majesty. And even though the Queen has confirmed to cancel the Christmas celebration at Sandringham this year, the annual royal Christmas speech is still expected to ensue.

The yearly tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast from King George V, which was continued by King George VI. Since 1952, Queen Elizabeth II had taken over the responsibility when she ascended to the throne.

In 1957, she was the first monarch to have her Christmas speech televised on public screens across the UK.

For the first time, the Queen’s image joined millions of people in celebrating the sacred family holiday at the comfort of their own homes.


The Queen’s historic Christmas broadcast in 1957 was filmed in the Long Library at Sandringham House. The black and white footage shows the 31-year-old monarch wearing her shiny holiday dress, matched with pearl earrings and necklace.

She was shown sitting at the same desk her father and grandfather used for their broadcasts. Beside her were several pictures of the royal family.

“Happy Christmas,” said the young Queen, beginning her speech.

“Twenty-five years ago, my grandfather broadcast the first of these Christmas messages. 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 that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct,” she added.

Richard Webber, head of outside broadcast at the time, said: “The Queen was extremely accomplished with the teleprompter and read the message brilliantly.”

The Queen concluded her speech with a few lines from ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ and then gave her blessings and new year’s wishes to the public.

“I hope that 1958 may bring you God's blessing and all the things you long for,” she said.

“And so I wish you all, young and old, wherever you may be, all the fun and enjoyment, and the peace of a very happy Christmas.”

However, the Queen’s live televised broadcasts didn’t last long despite their success. The process was found to be highly inconvenient to everyone involved. So by 1960, the annual speech was instead pre-recorded from Buckingham Palace.

The audience for the annual Christmas message reached its peak in 1980, with over 28 million viewers all over the country. This was the year before Charles and Diana’s royal wedding.

However, it was reported that the number of speech viewers has been steadily declining.

Check out the footage of the Queen’s first address below. Do you watch her address at home? Let us know!