the Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2013

In England less emphasis is placed on Christmas Eve, much more is made on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
One Chritmas ritual in the British monarch’s broadcast on Christmas day. This tradition began in 1932 when king George V read a special speech written by Rudyard Kipling which began with the words « I speak now from my home and from my heart, to you all » which was a huge success.
This tradition is followed by Queen Elizabeth II. Every year she broadcasts her message on Christmas Day . It’s heard and watched by millions of people in all Commonwealth countries all over the world, in England it is aired whilst people digesting their Christmas Dinner .
This speech contrary to what we call the Speech from the throne ( Throne Speech) made at the opening of each State Opening of Parliament is not part of the Royal Duties.
The address is written by the Queen herself without any input from the government . In it she can air her own views. Usually it has a strong religious framework (she is Head of the Anglican Church) and draws on her own experience over the years.
This year she chose to reflect about the key events in the past 12 months . This time the star was a little 5 months old baby who seems to have enlightened, not only his parents’s but the whole royal family’s life. The son of Prince William and Kate Middleton was born in July and christened in october . He is now, after his great-father Prince Charles, Duke of Wales and his father Duke of Cambridge the third in the line of succession
On the occasion she had a message for new parents saying that for them « life will never be the same again ».
She recalled the 60th anniversary of her coronation , she spoke of the summit of the Commonwealth heads of government in Colombo in Shri Lank where Prince Charles, standed in for her . More and more often the heir the throne stands in for the Queen when she would have to travel abroad ( she is 88 now). She spoke of the role of the Commonwealth and next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
In her speech the Queen gave some wise advice, usefull for everyone. She said that in a world with so many distractions it is not easy to pause and take stock. « we all need to get the balance right between action and reflection . Many have found the practice of quiet reflection surprisingly rewarding. ».
Elizabeth II spent Christmas Day in his royal residence in Sandringham, Norfolk. The family followed the german tradition of exchanging presents on Christmas Eve rather than on Christmas Day . Cheap and usefull gifts was the Queen’s instructions . Prince Georges even opened his first Chrismas gift, but was more interested in the wraping paper that in the content itself, according his parents !
The Royal family attended the traditional Christmas Day Church service at St Mary Magdeleine parish Church in Sandringham in the morning of Christmas Day . Thousand of people waited in the winter sunshine with one question : « will Prince Georges be here ? »
They were – perhaps not surprisingly disappointed- but there were applause for his parents the Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge who – in a break with royal tradition- walked hand in hand to Church.
As we can see things are changing even for the British Royal Family, after Elizabeth II the English Monarchy will not be the same… but it has already begun…

Hi Jean-Pierre, hi everyone,

Thank you for this message.

Is this text a quotation ? your own translation of a French text ?

> The family followed the german tradition
How come?

Thank you JeanPierreD for this interesting message about the Royal family's news. We can see you are well informed on their intimate life.
I admire the courage of the Queen, trying to fulfil her duties in spite of her age.
Why doesn't she entrust her son Charles with her charge ? Will he ever be a King ? His life all along, he has had to behave as the future King, to make choices dictated by the State, and then nothing happens.
Maybe he doesn'to deserve it. She does not trust him ?
Why do they report in your comments that he was more interested with the wrapping-paper than with his Xmas present ? We may wonder...

Hi Guilaine, Hi Gérard
I’m not that interested in the Royal family’s intimate life, I find it so old fashioned compared with the others European Royal families, but I find the Queen so moving and William and Kate so modern in comparaison. It is above all for me a way to learn new things about English culture and English language . The vocabulary, the prononciation in the Queen’s adresses are so perfect !
About Prince Charles, the heir to the throne ( and the first in line ) we can notice that he is more and more often involved into the Queen’s Royal Duties and standing in for her more and more often, at least abroad… Perhaps are these the first clues to answer this question : « will he be King one day » ?

No Gérard unfortunately I’m unable to write such a text, nevertheless it’s not a quotation because it is a mixte of several articles on the subject, ; as I do not claim that I wrote it, I don’t point out where the informations come from ( as we use to do on Wikipédia). I quoted only the Queen because… of her rank… No because these are her very word .
About the German use of exchanging presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day like in France, I knew I would have to explain it. In fact we can say that in Europe all the Royal families were linked together in a way or another, and it is not strange that the Bristih Royal family keeps some traditions from Germany, and we don’t have to go back far in history to discover why. In february 1840 Queen Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha son of Duke Ernest 1st Duke of Saxe-Cobourg and Gotah and so until 1917 the name of the British dynasty was Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha. It’s because of World War I, in order to cope with the big anti-German sentiment among the British Empire during the hard times of the war which reached his peak in March 1917, when the Gotha G.IV, a heavy craft crossed the English Channel and bombed London directly, that Georges V abandoned all titles held under the German Crown and changed German titles and house names to angliced versions , he took the name of his castle in Windsor as the name of the new dynasty.

JeanPierreD a écrit: In february 1840 Queen Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha son of Duke Ernest 1st Duke of Saxe-Cobourg and Gotah and so until 1917 the name of the British dynasty was Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha. It’s because of World War I, in order to cope with the big anti-German sentiment among the British Empire during  the hard times of the war which reached his peak in March 1917, when the Gotha G.IV, a heavy craft crossed the English Channel and bombed London directly, that Georges V abandoned all titles held under the German Crown and  changed German titles and house names to angliced versions , he took the  name of his castle in Windsor as the name of the new dynasty.

Thanks Jean-Pierre for teaching me those facts about English history I had forgotten. I also want to let you know something about the queen's way of speaking. I have a good English friend and one day, I wanted to thank her for speaking slowly and clearly for me to understand better.
"You speak like the queen, " I said to her
In fact she was offended. Do you know why ?.
Have a look at that video and listen to that charming young English lady imitating the queen 's first speech around 1955 and notice her cut glass  accent. Then listen to Margaret Thatcher 's posh accent and you will understand.
When they want to sound upper class, English people like to speak like that. It is funny isn't it ? Fortunately nowadays the queen speaks more or less like everyone else.

thank you for this small video ( and the other behind) about the pronunciation and its evolution during this last century . The girl is very funny, she could be an actress and she is already a good teacher !