Tag: HM Queen Elizabeth II

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1960.

I am glad at Christmas time to have this opportunity of speaking directly to all the peoples of the Commonwealth and of sending you my good wishes.

My husband and our children, together with the other members of our family, join me in wishing every one of you a happy Christmas and a prosperous new year.

I make no excuse for telling you once again that the kind messages which reach us from all over the world at this season give us great pleasure and encouragement.

This year I was delighted to get so many when my second son was born. The telegrams and letters which came flooding in at that time made me feel very close to all the family groups throughout the Commonwealth.

It is this feeling of personal association which gives the peoples of the Commonwealth countries that special relationship, one to another, which others find so difficult to understand.

It is because of this that my husband and I are so greatly looking forward to our visits to India and Pakistan early next year and later on to Ghana, Sierra Leone and the Gambia.

By no stretch of the imagination can 1960 be described as a happy or successful year for mankind. Arguments and strained relations, as well as natural disasters, have all helped to produce an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty all over the world.

Although the causes are beyond the control of individuals, we can at least influence the future by our everyday behaviour. It is at times of change, disorder and uncertainty that we should cling most strongly to all those principles which we know to be right and good.

Civilisation as we know it, or would like it to be, depends upon a constant striving towards better things. In times of stress, such as we are living through, only a determined effort by men and women of good will everywhere can halt and reverse a growing tendency towards violence and disintegration.

Despite the difficulties there are encouraging signs. For instance in Africa, Nigeria has gone through the process of achieving full self-government in peace and good will.

This great nation of thirty million people has decided to remain a member of our Commonwealth and I know that her influence will be most valuable as the future unfolds in other parts of Africa.

Then, again, co-operation between Commonwealth countries grows every year and the understanding and mutual appreciation which is developing at the same time is one of the really bright spots in the world today.

Although the contribution which any one person can make is small, it is real and important.

Whether you live in one of the rapidly developing countries of the Commonwealth or whether you find yourself in one of the older countries, the work of mutual help and the increase of mutual understanding cannot fail to be personally satisfying and of real service to the future.

May the months ahead bring you joy and the peace and happiness which we so much desire.

Happy Christmas. God bless you all.

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1961.

Every year at this time the whole Christian world celebrates the birth of the founder of our faith. It is traditionally the time for family reunions, present-giving and children’s parties.

A welcome escape, in fact, from the harsh realities of this troubled world and it is just in times like these, times of tension and anxieties, that the simple story and message of Christmas is most relevant.

The story is of a poor man and his wife who took refuge at night in a stable, where a child was born and laid in the manger. Nothing very spectacular, and yet the event was greeted with that triumphant song: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.”

For that child was to show that there is nothing in heaven and earth that cannot be achieved by faith and by love and service to one’s neighbour. Christmas may be a Christian festival, but its message goes out to all men and it is echoed by all men of understanding and goodwill everywhere.

During this last year I have been able to visit many countries: some were members of the Commonwealth and some were not. In all of them I was shown a genuine kindness and affection which touched me deeply and showed, I think, that the British people are looked upon as friends in many parts of the world.

In Asia and in Africa we were made aware of the great volume of good will and friendship that exists between all the varied peoples who profess different faiths and who make up our Commonwealth family. To them, their Christian brethren send a message of hope and encouragement this Christmas.

It goes also to the quiet people who fight prejudice by example, who stick to standards and ideals in face of persecution; who make real sacrifices in order to help and serve their neighbours.

“Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing.” The words of this old carol mean even more today than when they were first written.

We can only dispel the clouds of anxiety by the patient and determined efforts of us all. It cannot be done by condemning the past or by contracting out of the present. Angry words and accusations certainly don’t do any good, however justified they may be.

It is natural that the younger generation should lose patience with their elders, for their seeming failure to bring some order and security to the world.

But things will not get any better if young people merely express themselves by indifference or by revulsion against what they regard as an out-of-date order of things.

The world desperately needs their vigour, their determination and their service to their fellow men. The opportunities are there and the reward is the satisfaction of truly unselfish work.

To both young and old I send my very best wishes and, as the carol says, may we all hear the angels sing in the coming year.

A very happy Christmas to you all.

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1962.

A merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

There is something wonderful in the way these old familiar warm-hearted words of the traditional Christmas message never seem to grow stale. Surely it is because the family festival is like a firm landmark in the stormy seas of modern life.

Year by year, our families change and grow up. So does our Commonwealth family. This year Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Uganda have joined the circle as full members and we wish them all good fortune.

My husband and I are greatly looking forward to re-visiting New Zealand and Australia in the New Year. We shall meet many old friends and make new ones and we shall be very interested to see some of the many new developments which have taken place since I was last there nine years ago.

In spite of all the changes of the modern world and the many stresses and strains involved, the feeling of a special relationship between the ordinary people of the older Commonwealth countries will never be weakened.

This feeling is rapidly spreading throughout the newer members and in its turn will help us to realise the ideal of human brotherhood.

In the ideal of the Commonwealth we have been entrusted with something very special. We have in our hands a most potent force for good, and one of the true unifying bonds in this torn world. Let us keep faith with the ideal we know to be right and be ambitious for the good of all men.

Mankind continues to achieve wonders in technical and space research but in the western world perhaps the launching of Telstar has captured the imagination most vividly.

This tiny satellite has become the invisible focus of a million eyes. Telstar, and her sister satellites as they arise, can now show the world to the world just as it is in its daily life. What a wonderfully exciting prospect and perhaps it will make us stop and think about what sort of picture we are presenting to each other.

Wise men since the beginning of time have studied the skies. Whatever our faith, we can all follow a star – indeed we must follow one if the immensity of the future opening before us is not to dazzle our eyes and dissipate our sense of direction.

How is it, people wonder, that we are forever seeking new worlds to conquer before we have properly put our own house in order.

Some people are uncertain which star to follow, or if any star is worth following at all. What is it all for, they ask, if you can bounce a telephone conversation or a television picture through the skies and across the world, yet still find lonely people living in the same street?

Following a star has many meanings; it can mean the religious man’s approach to God or the hopes of parents for their children, or the ambition of young men and women, or the devotion of old countries like ours to well-tried ideals of toleration and justice, with no distinction of race or creed.

The wise men of old followed a star: modern man has built one. But unless the message of this new star is the same as theirs our wisdom will count for nought. Now we can all say the world is my neighbour and it is only in serving one another that we can reach for the stars.

God bless you all.

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1963.

Since my last message of Christmas greetings to you all, the world has witnessed many great events and sweeping changes, but they are already part of the long record of history.

Now, as ever, the important time for mankind is the future; the coming years are full of hope and promise and their course can still be shaped by our will and action.

The message of Christmas remains the same; but humanity can only progress if we are all truly ambitious for what is good and honourable. We know the reward is peace on earth, goodwill toward men, but we cannot win it without determination and concerted effort.

One such concerted effort has been the campaign to free the world from hunger. I am very happy to know that the people of the Commonwealth have responded so generously to this campaign.

Much has been achieved but there is still much to do and on this day of reunions and festivities in the glow of Christmas, let us remember the many undernourished people, young and old, scattered throughout the world.

All my family joins me in sending every one of you best wishes for Christmas and may God’s blessing be with you in the coming year.

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1964.

As I begin my Christmas Broadcast to you, the people of Great Britain and of the other Commonwealth countries, my mind travels far away, and for one moment I seem to be with you in many countries, which are now almost as familiar as my own native land.

To you all, my family and I send our affectionate greetings and hope that your Christmas is a happy one.

Let us think for a moment about this great Commonwealth. What is this wealth which we have in common and which is so much more than our collective resources, massive though they are?

I know that life is hard for many. The problems which face mankind often seem to defy solution. Some of our Commonwealth friends overseas are grappling with difficulties unknown in a complex industrial country such as Great Britain.

There are difficulties of over-population, there is hunger, and drought and lack of power. There are yearly tens of thousands of young people flocking into schools, seeking education.

I welcome the chance of hearing more about these problems when individual Ministers from the Commonwealth come to this country, and also on such special occasions as the Prime Ministers’ Meetings.

At moments like this I have the benefit, not only of getting to know some of my Prime Ministers better, but of welcoming leaders from the new nations of the Commonwealth.

I value very highly these meetings, which allow me to draw on the wisdom of such a representative gathering. I believe that in God’s good time all the peoples of our Commonwealth, working side by side, will attain prosperity.

The thread which runs through our Commonwealth is love of freedom, and it is perhaps in this, more than in anything else, that our real wealth lies. Now the word ‘freedom’, like the word ‘democracy’, is a simple one implying a simple idea, and yet freedom, to be effective, must be disciplined.

Absolute freedom is a state unknown to the historian. The many ancient institutions and traditions which we have inherited, and which are familiar to us all, provide a framework and a dignified background to our way of life. If it is not to degenerate, freedom must be maintained by a thousand invisible forces, self-discipline, the Common Law, the right of citizens to assemble, and to speak and argue.

We do not wish to impose a particular form of Government on any peoples in the world; we merely say, “This is what we do; we know it’s not perfect, but it is the best system that we have been able to create after many centuries of trial and error.”

All of us who have been blessed with young families know from long experience that when one’s house is at its noisiest, there is often less cause for anxiety. The creaking of a ship in a heavy sea is music in the ears of the captain on the bridge. In fact little is static and without movement there can be no progress.

Some speak today as though the age of adventure and initiative is past. On the contrary, never have the challenges been greater or more urgent. The fight against poverty, malnutrition and ignorance is harder than ever, and we must do all in our power to see that science is directed towards solving these problems.

I would like to say one more word to the young people of the Commonwealth. Upon you rests our hope for the future. You young people are needed; there is a great task ahead of you – the building of a new world.

You have brains and courage, imagination and humanity; direct them to the things that have to be achieved in this century, if mankind is to live together in happiness and prosperity.

God bless you and a very, very happy Christmas to you all.

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1965.

Every year the familiar pattern of Christmas unfolds. The sights and the customs and festivities may seem very much the same from one year to another, and yet to families and individuals each Christmas is slightly different.

Children grow and presents for them change. It may be the first Christmas for many as husband and wife, or the first Christmas with grandchildren. Some may be far from home, and others lonely or sick, yet Christmas always remains as the great family festival.

A festival which we owe to that family long ago which spent this time in extreme adversity and discomfort.

I think we should remember that in spite of all the scientific advances and great improvements in our material welfare, the family remains as the focal point of our existence.

There is overwhelming evidence that those who cannot experience full and happy family life for some reason or another are deprived of a great stabilising influence in their lives.

At Christmas we are also reminded that it is the time of peace on earth and goodwill towards men. Yet we are all only too well aware of the tragic fighting, hatred and ill-will in so many parts of the world.

Because of this, cynics may shrug off the Christmas message as a waste of time, but that is only the gloomy side of the picture; there are also brighter and more hopeful signs.

The great churches of the world are coming to understand each other better and to recognise that without their inspiration and great ideals mankind will be smothered by its own material wealth. We must have dreams and ambitions for peace and goodwill and they must be proclaimed.

Perhaps the most practical demonstration of goodwill towards men is to be found in the growing practice among young people to give some form of voluntary service to others.

In Britain and throughout the world they are coming forward to help old people or to serve in every kind of capacity where they may be needed at home and overseas.

A new army is on the march which holds out the brightest hopes for all mankind. It serves in international work camps, in areas hit by natural disasters or emergencies and in helping the poor, the backward or the hungry.

“Peace on Earth” – we may not have it at the moment, we may never have it completely, but we will certainly achieve nothing unless we go on trying to remove the causes of conflict between peoples and nations.

“Goodwill towards men” is not a hollow phrase. Goodwill exists, and when there is an opportunity to show it in practical form we know what wonderful things it can achieve.

To deny this Christmas message is to admit defeat and to give up hope. It is a rejection of everything that makes life worth living, and what is far worse it offers nothing in its place.

In fact it is just because there are so many conflicts in the world today that we should reaffirm our hopes and beliefs in a more peaceful and a more friendly world in the future.

This is just the moment to remind ourselves that we can all find some practical way to serve others and help to create a better understanding between people.

To each one of you I wish a very happy Christmas and if throughout the Commonwealth we can all make a sustained effort, perhaps Christmas next year will be a much happier one for many more people.

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1966.

Ever since the first Christmas when the three wise men brought their presents, Christians all over the world have kept up this kindly custom.

Even if the presents we give each other at Christmas-time may only be intended to give momentary pleasure, they do also reflect one all important lesson. Society cannot hope for a just and peaceful civilisation unless each individual feels the need to be concerned about his fellows.

All the great works of charity and all humanitarian legislation have always been inspired by a flame of compassion which has burnt brightly in the hearts of men and women. Mankind has many blemishes, but deep down in every human soul there is a store of goodwill waiting to be called upon.

This year I should like to speak especially to women. In many countries custom has decreed that women should play a minor part in public affairs.

It is difficult to realise that it was less than fifty years ago that women in Britain were first given the vote, but Parliament was first asked to grant this one hundred years ago.

Yet, in spite of these disabilities, it has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress of mankind.

The struggles against inhuman prejudice, against squalor, ignorance, and disease, have always owed a great deal to the determination and tenacity of women.

The devotion of nuns and nurses, the care of mothers and wives, the service of teachers, and the conviction of reformers are the real and enduring presents which women have always given.

In the modern world the opportunities for women to give something of value to the human family are greater than ever, because, through their own efforts, they are now beginning to play their full part in public life.

We know so much more about what can be achieved; we know that the tyranny of ignorance can be broken; we know the rules of health and how to protect children from disease.

We know all these things are important in our own homes, but it needs a very active concern by women everywhere if this knowledge is to be used where it is most needed. I am glad that in all countries of the Commonwealth women are more and more able to use it.

I am sure the custom of giving presents at Christmas will never die out, but I hope it will never overshadow the far more important presents we can give for the benefit of the future of the world.

People of goodwill everywhere are working to build a world that will be a happier and more peaceful place in which to live. Let our prayers be for a personal strength and conviction to play our own small part to bring that day nearer.

God be with you, and a very happy Christmas to you all.

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1967.

Every once in a while an event occurs which seems to mark a milestone in history.

For the Commonwealth, such an event was Canada’s centenary this year. A hundred years ago the confederation of the provinces of Canada laid the foundations for the country’s subsequent development.

Once a land of pioneers largely dependent on agriculture and raw materials, Canada has become also one of the leading industrial nations of the world.

Prince Philip and I went to Ottawa for the Centenary celebrations and it was a most moving occasion. Canada has every reason to feel proud of her achievements in the last hundred years.

Confederation as a formal act could have achieved little by itself. Only the determined will of a great variety of individuals and groups to co-operate for the greater national interest could have breathed life into the creation of the Fathers of Confederation.

The future of Canada as a great and prosperous country depends just as much on the will of the present generation to work together. It is for them to continue and expand the process of development which began with such high hopes one hundred years ago.

Nothing has demonstrated this more forcefully than Expo ’67, the remarkable international exhibition staged with such dramatic effect on a series of man-made islands in the St. Lawrence River.

The theme of Expo was ‘Man in his World’, and the lasting impression which I took away with me from Canada’s Centennial and Expo ’67 is the degree of unity in outlook among the diverse nations, creeds and races of the world.

The Commonwealth is a system which is in a constant process of change and development. This was brought home to me vividly when I revisited Malta only a month ago.

When I first went to the islands, they were a colony and my husband was serving with the Mediterranean Fleet. Today Malta is independent, with the Crown occupying the same position as it does in the other self-governing countries of which I am Queen.

This is the opening of a new and challenging chapter for the people of Malta and they are entering it with determination and enthusiasm.

Great national events can stir the imagination, but so can individual actions. Few people can have attracted so much universal attention as Sir Francis Chichester during his epic journey in Gypsy Moth.

I am sure that the reason his great feat of seamanship so warmed our hearts was that we recognised in his enterprise and courage the very qualities which have played such a large part in British history and which we in these islands need just as much today and for the future.

Let there be no doubt that Britain is faced with formidable problems, but let there also be no doubt she will overcome them. Determined and well-directed effort by a people who for centuries have given ample evidence of their resources of character and initiative, must bring its reward.

I am glad to say that contacts at all levels between Commonwealth countries continue to grow, and I have been delighted to welcome Commonwealth prime ministers and leaders in various walks of life.

Among the people who attract the greatest attention are visiting sportsmen and athletes. Cricket teams from India and Pakistan braved the vagaries of the English summer, and the redoubtable All-Blacks from New Zealand have made a solid impact on British rugby footballers.

Kenya sent us her great runner Keino. I hope many more sportsmen from Africa will take part in competitions and will establish new contacts between Africa and the rest of the world.

I have myself made many visits to other Commonwealth and overseas countries and every one was a journey of discovery. I am therefore particularly pleased that is it possible for so many young people and students to enjoy the experience of travel, to give service and to make new friends abroad.

My two elder children came back from the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica enchanted with the adventure, the kindness of the people, and the opportunity to meet so many athletes from every part of the Commonwealth.

For my son this came at the end of a period in Australia which he would not have missed for anything and where the exciting challenges and opportunities deeply impressed him.

In October this year, I took my son and daughter with me to the Opening of Parliament at Westminster. The Opening of Parliament is not just a ritual. It should remind us that Parliament symbolises the nation and the national interest.

It should also remind us that we believe in government by consent and that our system can only work if we all want it to work and feel that we have some part in it. Democratic government is a tradition we all share and which is the ideal of all the members of our association of nations.

Modern communications make it possible for me to talk to you in your homes and to wish you a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year. These techniques of radio and television are modern, but the Christmas message is timeless.

You may have heard it very often but in the end, no matter what scientific progress we make, the message will count for nothing unless we can achieve real peace and encourage genuine goodwill between individual people and the nations of the world.

Every Christmas I am sustained and encouraged by the happiness and sense of unity which comes from seeing all the members of my family together.

I hope and pray that, with God’s help, this Christmas spirit of family unity will spread and grow among our Commonwealth family of nations.

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1968.

Christmas is a Christian festival which celebrates the birth of the Prince of Peace. At times it is almost hidden by the merry making and tinsel, but the essential message of Christmas is still that we all belong to the great brotherhood of man.

This idea is not limited to the Christian faith. Philosophers and prophets have concluded that peace is better than war, love is better than hate and that mankind can only find progress in friendship and co-operation.

Many ideas are being questioned today, but these great truths will continue to shine out as the light of hope in the darkness of intolerance and inhumanity.

The words ‘the brotherhood of man’ have a splendid ring about them, but the idea may seem too remote to have any practical meaning in this hard and bustling age.

Indeed it means nothing at all unless the brotherhood, starting with individuals, can reconcile rival communities, conflicting religions, differing races and the divided and prejudiced nations of the world.

If we truly believe that the brotherhood of man has a value for the world’s future, then we should seek to support those international organisations which foster understanding between people and between nations.

The British people together have achieved great things in the past and have overcome many dangers, but we cannot make further progress if we resurrect ancient squabbles.

The nations belonging to the Commonwealth have in their hands a well-tried framework for mutual help and co-operation. It would be short-sighted to waste this modest step towards brotherhood because we are too busy with the dissensions of the moment.

Every individual and every nation have problems, so there is all the more reason for us to do our utmost to show our concern for others.

Rich or poor, we all depend upon the work and skill of individual men and women, particularly those in industry and production who are the creators of wealth and prosperity. We depend on new knowledge, invention and innovation, practical improvements and developments, all of which offer us a better life.

Yet we should not be obsessed by material problems. We must also be sure that we remain spiritually alive. Everything we do now is helping to shape the world in which our children are going to live.

Our young people need all the help and opportunities we can give them to prepare them for the responsibilities which they will soon have to carry.

Today I have spoken of ‘the brotherhood of man’ and the hope it holds out for the world. This should not remain a vague thought nor an abstract idea. Each of us can put it into practice by treating one another with kindness and consideration at all times and in spite of every kind of provocation.

Christmas is the festival of peace. It is God’s will that it should be our constant endeavour to establish ‘Peace on earth, goodwill towards men’.

I hope you all have a very happy Christmas and every good fortune in the New Year.

The Christmas Broadcast made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 25 December 1969.

I have received a great number of kind letters and messages of regard and concern about this year’s break with the usual broadcast at Christmas and I want you all to know that my good wishes are no less warm and personal because they come to you in a different form.

In a short time the 1960s will be over but not out of our memories. Historians will record them as the decade in which men first reached out beyond our own planet and set foot on the moon, but each one of us will have our own special triumphs or tragedies to look back on.

My own thoughts are with my older children who are entering the service of the people of this country and the Commonwealth. It is a great satisfaction and comfort to me and my husband to know that they have won a place in your affections.

We are all looking forward to our visit to Australia and New Zealand for the Cook Bi-centenary celebrations, and also to Fiji and Tonga. Later next year we hope to see something of the fascinating development of Northern Canada.

It is only natural that we should all be dazzled and impressed by the triumphs of technology, but Christmas is a festival of the spirit. At this time our concern is particularly for the lonely, the sick and the elderly. I hope they will all feel the warmth and comfort of companionship and that all of you will enjoy a very happy Christmas with your families and friends.

God bless you all.