Several monarchs share a holiday message to mark Christmas and the New Year. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands delivered the first royal Christmas message via radio in 1931, and King George V of Great Britain delivered his first Christmas message in 1932 to launch what would become the BBC World Service.
Now, it’s a well established festive tradition. If you are interested, you can now watch any of these royal Christmas messages yourself so get your diaries out to get the dates in as the festive season approaches!
Each monarch will film their address from a different location, typically one of the official royal palaces.
King Felipe of Spain delivers a message on Christmas Eve to look back on significant moments from the past year and share wishes for the next year. It traditionally airs at 9:00 pm local time on both Spanish national television and social media.
King Philippe of the Belgians also shares a Christmas Eve message that airs on television and across social media. During the global health crisis, the Belgian Royal Family also shared recordings of the annual palace Christmas Concert.
Grand-Duke Henri of Luxembourg delivers his holiday address on Christmas Eve, as well.
In the United Kingdom, the King’s Christmas Message will be shared on Christmas Day at 3:00 pm local time. It is also broadcast across the Commonwealth with local television and radio stations choosing their airtime. In the United Kingdom, the broadcast rotates between BBC, ITN, and Sky, with Sky hosting the 2022 broadcast. The message is uploaded onto the Royal Family’s official social media channels shortly after.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden also shares a Christmas message on 25 December. It is pre-recorded and airs on both Swedish television and radio, as well as being shared on social media.
The Dutch King shares his annual Christmas Day message to highlight what has happened in the year in the Netherlands and to share wishes for the next year. In the past, King Willem-Alexander has mentioned very specific events and issues. It airs on television, in addition to social media.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark and King Harald of Norway each share a message on New Year’s Eve, rather than Christmas. Their messages are also shared across television, radio, and social media.
