King Charles III will deliver his first Christmas Day speech this year, following the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
It is expected that the King will use the speech to reflect on the late Queen, who died on September 8, 2022, aged 96.
For many of us it will be strange to see King Charles on our screens on December 25th, as we have grown accustomed to hearing the Queen’s message on Christmas Day over the last 70 years.
But just when was the last time we had a King’s speech instead of a Queen’s speech on Christmas Day?
Lets find out.
When was the last time we had a King’s speech on Christmas Day?
The last time the UK had a King’s speech on Christmas Day, was in 1951 and it was delivered by King Charles’s grandfather father, King George VI.
In the speech, King George says that he has recovered from his illness but that his daughter (the then) Princess Elizabeth will have to take his place on the Commonwealth tour.
King George died just over a month after the speech was broadcast, on February 6, 1952, aged 56, after failing to recover from a lung operation.
His daughter, who was on the Commonwealth tour at the time, immediately became Queen and ever since then, we have had a Queen’s speech on Christmas Day.
King George VI’s final Christmas message was pre-recorded, as he had recently undergone surgery, however, unlike today, the Christmas Day speech was generally done as a live broadcast, until the 1960s.
When was the first King’s speech?
The tradition of the Christmas Day speech dates back to 1932 and was the idea of the founding director general of the BBC, John Reith.
Reith first approached King George V in 1922 and asked him to deliver a Christmas message on the newly created radio service.
The King declined, believing that the radio was purely for entertainment but accepted the idea when asked again 10 years later, after being encouraged to do so by his wife, Queen Mary and Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald.
King George V’s first Christmas speech was written by Rudyard Kipling, best known for the classic novel, The Jungle Book.
The Christmas message was broadcast on the radio until 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II delivered the first televised address.
The late Queen was known to write her speeches mostly herself, often with the help of her husband, Prince Phillip, until his death in 2021.
In her final speech, last year, Queen Elizabeth reflected on the life of her ‘beloved’ Phillip.
This year’s speech will be the first time a male Monarch has delivered a televised address.
MORE : Inside Sandringham – the home of the Royal Family Christmas
MORE : What time is King Charles’ first Christmas Day speech and how to watch it?
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