A staple of Christmas Day in Britain since 1932, the monarch’s Christmas broadcast marks the one time of year when the Sovereign addresses his or her subjects without government input.
When the late Queen Elizabeth II gave her festive address on television for the first time in 1957, she spoke of how the monarch’s role had historically evolved. “I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.”
