Queen’s Message broadcast details

The Queen presents her annual message to the Commonwealth, reflecting on the year’s major events and Her Majesty’s own personal milestones and feelings on Christmas.

The Christmas message tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast by George V on the British Broadcasting Corporation Empire Service.

It is one of the few instances when the sovereign speaks publicly without advice from any ministers of the Crown in any of the monarch’s realms. Planning for each year’s address begins months earlier, when the monarch establishes a theme and appropriate archival footage is collected and assembled; the actual speech is recorded a few days prior to Christmas.

In the United Kingdom and on the Internet, broadcast of the Queen’s Christmas message is embargoed until 3:00 PM GMT, but every year New Zealand is the first in the Commonwealth to broadcast it.

Sunday 25th December, 6.50pm TV ONE