This is when the Queen will deliver her Christmas Message in 2020 - and how to watch on TV

There have been many uncertainties in 2020 - but the Queen's speech is not one of them.

Her Majesty will return to TV screens on Christmas Day to deliver her annual address to the nation and the people of the Commonwealth.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Queen, like many people across the country, has had to change her usual Christmas plans and will spend the festive holiday at Windsor Castle rather than travel to Sandringham.

It will be the first time in 33 years the Queen and Prince Phillip will spend Christmas at Windsor Castle, while Sandringham will be open to the public.

What time is the Queen's speech?

In keeping with tradition, the Queen's pre-recorded speech will be aired on Christmas Day 2020 at 3pm and will last for 10 minutes.

The address will be screened on BBC One and ITV.

Radio listeners can listen to the Queen’s address on BBC Radio 4 at the same time and the same day (3pm on Christmas Day).

What does the Queen usually talk about?

The Queen often likes to highlight key events from the year and the 2020 address is expected to follow a similar theme.

The devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic is likely to form a large part of Her Majesty’s Christmas speech.

The Queen is likely to pay tribute to the thousands who have died from Covid-19 and the efforts of the country’s emergency services, notably the NHS.

When was the first Christmas royal address?

The Queen's grandfather, King George V, was the first monarch to address the nation on Christmas Day in 1932.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The time of the initial broadcast - 3pm - was chosen as it was the best time to reach most of the countries in the Empire.

His Majesty's speech lasted just two and a half minutes and started slightly later than planned at 3.05pm.

Journalist Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book, wrote the monarch’s first Christmas address to the nation.

When was the first televised Christmas speech?

After the death of her father, George VI, in February 1952, Queen Elizabeth II took on the responsibility of delivering the royal Christmas message.

Her Majesty has made a broadcast every year except for 1969 when a repeat of the documentary Royal Family was already scheduled.

In 1957, the Queen's speech took on a new life when it was televised for the first time.

The televised addresses have allowed viewers to see a different side to the Queen - in her own residences, surrounded by Christmas decorations like many other homes.

Related topics: