A Christmas speech of pride and joy
Yesterday at 05:00 AM
In this season of Advent, Royal Central is looking at different royal Christmas Broadcasts from the last century in the lead up to Christmas. While many broadcasts have had to acknowledge difficult events, some were focused on the positive.
Queen Elizabeth II's 2012 Christmas Day address was one of the most joyful in her reign. Not only did London host the 2012 Olympic Games in July, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.
London and the United Kingdom came together to host the Olympics, with the Royal Family turning out in full force. However, Her Majesty stole the show with an iconic appearance at the Opening Ceremonies and this was reflected in her speech. Queen Elizabeth II said ”as London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.”
Queen Elizabeth was only the second monarch in British history to celebrate their Diamond Jubilee, with Queen Victoria first celebrating hers in 1897. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh were joined by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry for celebrations across the UK.
Although it was her milestone as a monarch, The Queen focused on the shared sense of community during her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me sixty years ago… Prince Philip and I were joined by our family on the River Thames as we paid tribute to those who have shaped the United Kingdom’s past and future as a maritime nation, and welcomed a wonderful array of craft, large and small, from across the Commonwealth… That day there was a tremendous sense of common determination to celebrate, triumphing over the elements.
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