Features

King George V's most intimate Christmas speech

As we explore a different Royal Christmas Broadcast each day from 1 to 24 December, we are able to see both personal, family moments and public events marked. In 1934, King George V added a real family touch to his Christmas speech, only the third he had ever made.   On 29 November 1934, Prince George, Duke of Kent, married Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark in the society event of the…
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Features

A Christmas message filled with hope

The Second World War was the major defining event of King George VI’s reign and as such, several of his Royal Christmas Broadcasts dealt with the war. In 1943, he once again focused on the dedication, faith, and resiliency of both service members and civilians across the…
Features

The king who spoke from the 15th century in 2024 and other amazing royal discoveries

The year 2024 has seen many royal history discoveries. From lost portraits to a controversial monarch’s voice, experts have continued to uncover the past lives of royals.  Mayan royal jade mask found In January 2024, a team of archaeologists led by Francisco Estrada-Belli of Tulane University shared that in 2021 they had discovered a complete jade mask from a Mayan King dating back…
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Features

Christmas Day words that became one of the most famous royal speeches in history

It would become one of the most important speeches of a reign and of a century. When King George VI addressed his people on Christmas Day 1939, the usual festivities were very far from his and their minds. Instead, in the first months of World War Two, King George spoke of the huge challenge faced by millions in words that are now part of history. By Christmas Day 1939, Europe was four months…
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Features

A joyful Jubilee Christmas broadcast

For only the second time in history, a jubilee became the main focus of a Christmas speech. In 1977, Queen Elizabeth II’s 1977 royal Christmas broadcast was one of celebration and hope.  In 1977, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Silver Jubilee marking twenty five years…
Queen Elizabeth II

A new addition to the family for Christmas speech

As we dive into different Royal Christmas Broadcasts each day in December, we are able to see both personal and public moments marked for the sovereign. Queen Elizabeth II marked moments of family joy and public loss in 2015.  The spring of 2015 had brought great family joy with the arrival of Princess Charlotte. Her proud great grandmother reflected on that in her Christmas speech, noting…
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