It was the idea of Sir John Reith ; Rudyard Kipling wrote the first; David Attenborough produced some of the best: the royal Christmas message, as much a part of the British Christmas as Turkey and the tree, even if for some of us only in its being ignored.
The institution started in 1932 with a radio broadcast by George V , and it was exclusively a radio transmission until as late as 1957 when we got to see the monarch speaking from the Long Library at Sandringham House – strangely the previous ones by Elizabeth II had been put out on TV without pictures. We waited until 1967 for colour.
Over the years the format has changed according to need. During WWII King George VI regularly stressed the concept of Britain and the wider Commonwealth as a family. The royal family itself has been the focus of many messages – with details when times were good and marriages fresh; the endings of those same unions merely hinted later. And sadly disasters natural and man-made have often been included: Aberfan ; foot-and-mouth; the London bombings ; and further afield earthquakes, the Indian Ocean tsunami, 9/11 and many more.
Whatever your views of the monarchy, there is something comforting and comfortable about the existence of the message; 3pm Christmas Day, a solid milestone of the year; almost a full-stop to it. Millions sit down full of Christmas dinner and too many toffees intending to take it all in, and are asleep within minutes; millions make a little point by avoiding it, happily free to do so, but would feel unsettled if it wasn’t there to be avoided. Press Sandringhamologists examine the text for stories – Camilla not mentioned, must be a snub; otherwise so few remain conscious that the Queen could tell elephant jokes and nobody would notice.
More British Institutions
Afternoon Tea
Allotments
April Fools Day
Big Ben
Binge Drinking
Black Cabs
Bonfire Night
British Sense of Humour
Brown Windsor Soup
Burns Night
Cadburys
Castles
Changing the Guard
City of London
Coronation Street
Cowes Week
Cricket
Crufts
Dad’s Army
E-Type Jag
Eccentricity
English Country Garden
Fish and Chips
Fish Fingers
Fox Hunting
Full English Breakfast
Gin and Tonic
Glastonbury
Glorious Goodwood
Grand National
Grouse Shooting
Harrods
Highland Games
Hogmanay
James Bond
John Bull
King Arthur
Land Rover
Lloyds of London
London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally
Marks and Spencer
Monty Python
Morecambe and Wise
Old School Tie
Oxbridge
Panto
Picnics
Pimms
Point-to-Point
Punch and Judy
Queueing
Real Ale
Red Arrows
Red Telephone Boxes
Remembrance Poppies
Robin Hood
Rolls Royce
Royal Ascot
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Savile Row Suits
School Discos
School Sports Day
Seaside Piers
Speakers’ Corner
Stag Nights
Stiff Upper Lip
Strawberries and Cream
Street Markets
Summer Festivals
Sunday Roasts
The Archers
The BBC
The Beano
The Boat Race
The Brass Band
The British Bobby
The Bulldog
The Church of England
The Cup Final
The Curry House
The English Rose
The Garden Shed
The Honours System
The Kilt
The Last Night at the Proms
The London Bus
The Mini
The National Trust
The NHS
The Oak
The Pub
The Queen’s Speech
The Rolling Stones
The Royal Christmas Message
The Spitfire
The V Sign
The Village Fete
The Weather
Travelling Fairs
Trooping the Colour
Village Greens
Wedgwood
Wellington Boots
Wimbledon
Wine Gums
Yeomen of the Guard
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