When is the Queen's Christmas Message 2020 speech on TV and what does Her Majesty talk about?

17 November 2020, 02:51 | Updated: 18 November 2020, 14:58

The Queen's Christmas Message has been a tradition since 1932.

Her Royal Majesty does a speech on television every year at Christmas and it's become a huge tradition for many families across the UK.

But when is the 2020 speech on TV and what is the speech's history all about? We reveal all...

When is the 2020 Christmas Message on?

The Queen’s Christmas Message will be broadcast on December 25, 2020.

Its exact time is currently unknown but it is likely to be around 3pm, as it was in 2019.

It is typically broadcasted on BBC1, ITV, Sky 1 and Sky News and will run for around ten minutes.

For those wanting to listen on the radio rather than watch it on TV then the speech will likely be broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

The Christmas message is usually also shown live on the Royals' YouTube channel, Facebook and you can also download the speech as a podcast.

Watch The Queen record her Christmas speech

What does the Queen usually talk about?

Every year there is a theme to the speech but it usually involves the Queen looking back at the year and talking about the biggest events of the past 12 months.

As 2020 has been a year like no other - both in Royal terms and with the unexpected global pandemic - this speech is likely to be a hefty one.

The Queen might address Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step down as senior royals and move across the pond to raise their son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.

The Royal Family have been subject to endless controversy due to Prince Andrew's links to convicted criminal and abuser Jeffrey Epstein, however, it's unlikely this will be addressed.

The speech will undoubtedly pay tribute to the thousands who have tragically lost their lives to the killer COVID-19 virus, and how the NHS and key workers of the country have been incredible throughout.

What's the history of the Christmas Day Speech?

The Queen's Christmas Message, previously known as The King's Christmas Message, is a broadcast made by the sovereign of the Commonwealth realms to the Commonwealth of Nations each Christmas.

The tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast by King George V on the BBC's Empire Service and since then has evolved into an important part of the Christmas Day celebrations for many in Britain and around the world.

Since 1952, the message has been read by Elizabeth II; today, it is broadcast on television, radio, and the Internet via various providers.