'Alexa, play the Queen's Christmas Day message'
On 25 December 2020 at 3pm, the Queen will deliver her 68th Christmas address, and this year's message will go down in history. For the first time ever, the speech will be broadcasted on Amazon Alexa devices across the globe. In order to listen to the message, make sure your device's language is set to English setting (American, British, Australian, Canadian or Indian language). Then, simply summon Alexa to play the Queen's Christmas Day message and the Queen's message will then echo in your home.
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A statement from Eric King, director of Amazon Alexa Europe, reads:
After a challenging year, millions of people from across the Commonwealth will be eagerly awaiting Her Majesty the Queen’s message on Christmas Day. By creating this world-first innovation, just as we did in 2012 with the release of the Queen’s Christmas speech on Kindle, we hope that even more people will be able to enjoy the uplifting words of Her Majesty.
How did the tradition start?
In 1932, King George V delivered the very first Christmas message via radio, written by journalist and poet Rudyard Kipling. It was a time for the King to highlight some of the major achievements and events of the year. Since then, it has been become a tradition for the monarch to give a speech on Christmas day, which is meant to send a message of hope to all the Commonwealth countries.
Queen Elizabeth II took over the royal tradition in 1952 after her father King George VI passed away. Since then, the Queen has broadcasted her Christmas message every year except one, in 1969, because a documentary on the Royal Family had already been scheduled for the holiday period.
The first televised message was broadcasted by the BBC in 1957, allowing viewers to get a glimpse at the inside of Sandringham, the Queen's Norfolk estate, from where she read her message that year, making the message even more personal. Televising the message was a way for the Queen to reach even more households. The new deal with Amazon is certainly a continuation of this as the monarch is continuously trying to become more and more modern and staying relevant in a fast-paced society.
What will she talk about?
Millions of people across the world eagerly wait for the Queen's Christmas message—it is a message of hope, and in these dark times, we could all use a little bit oh hope. It is expected that the Queen's message will focus on the pandemic and how it has affected families across the nation, as well as Brexit. The speech is normally recorded well in advance—as early as early December—but this year, sources say the speech has not yet been recorded. Buckingham Palace did not confirm nor deny speculations.
