King Charles III marks new era with his first Christmas televised speech

The royal Christmas message broadcast is part of a decades-old  tradition, but Charles III has become first King to deliver a televised speech to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth nations. 

Almost nine-decades ago on 25 December 1932, this tradition began by Charles III's great-grandfather, King George V as he addressed the UK and British Empire in a radio broadcast on  BBC Empire Service.

The network's founder Sir John Reith, according to the media house, had tried to convince the George V to deliver an address, but the monarch had remained reluctant to increase his exposure. Eventually he agreed and  renowned British writer Rudyard Kipling, author of the Jungle Book, was enlisted to prepare the speech for him.

George V's first Christmas speech was so popular the one-off event became an annual tradition, with minor exceptions over the years.

Queen Elizabeth II made her first speech in 1952, sitting at the same desk her father and grandfather used to deliver their addresses. The first televised Christmas address from a monarch was Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1957.

Sixty-three televised Christmas addresses followed with further developments in technology, including broadcasts in colour from 1967 and for the first time, in 3D, in 2012.

Now, King Charles has made history by delivering first televised speech. There’s never been a Christmas Day King’s Speech on British TV before. 

It’s an historic message as he has filmed his first-ever holiday speech as King of the United Kingdom, paying special tribute to his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.  It will air on BBC One, BBC Two, ITV One and Sky One in the UK. It will be broadcast at the traditional time of 3:00pm UK time.