INFORMATION

The tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast by King George V on the BBC Empire Service.
The King was originally hesitant about using the relatively untried medium of radio to issue a Christmas Message. However he was reassured by a visit to the BBC, and agreed to try out the idea. So in 1932 on Christmas Day, King George V issued a Christmas Message from a small office in Sandringham House to the Empire.

Edward VIII abdicated before his first Christmas on the Throne, and therefore never issued a Christmas Message.
George VI continued the Christmas broadcasts. Perhaps his best known was delivered in 1939, in the opening stages of the Second World War.

The tradition has been continued by the present Queen, Elizabeth II.
Her first Christmas Message to the Commonwealth took place from the study at Sandringham House on 25 December 1952 and was broadcast to the nation by BBC radio. She has delivered the traditional Message each Christmas ever since with the exception of 1969, and they have been fully televised since 1957. The message is broadcast in the UK at 3pm (15:00 GMT).

On 21 December 2006 it was announced that the Queen's message would be made available to view on the internet and to download as a podcast.
The speech was about the relationship between the generations, and how young and old can come together to strengthen their communities. There are strong references to the inclusion of Muslim and other faiths into mainstream British society.

The 2007 message was made available via the Royal Family's video channel on YouTube.
The message started with the introductory remarks made in the 1957 Christmas message, the first televised message delivered by the Queen. The camera moves back to reveal the 1957 message being played on a television, and the present-day Queen standing beside it. The theme discussed the family, including Jesus' birth into a family under unfavourable circumstances, among other things. The Queen also spoke about how everyone has a duty to care for the vulnerable in society. Footage of the Royal Marines in Afghanistan, as well as a military memorial, were shown to commentary about the work of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The message ends with a black-and-white clip from the original 1957 broadcast and an image of the Royal Standard.