The is a tradition that began in 1932 with , and thousands of Britons have tuned in for the yearly tradition.
From a King’s crackly appearance on the wireless for just a couple of minutes all those years ago, to a slick, televised speech that can be seen anywhere in the world on demand, the has come a long way in less than a century.
This year, 2024, will see address the nation on Christmas Day (December 25). The message will be the King’s third and the second since his coronation.
The Christmas speech was first broadcast in 1957 when it was delivered by his mother, , and then every year until Christmas 2021, nine months before her death. King Charles’ first speech was broadcast in 2022, five months before he was crowned.
Here is everything you need to know about the King’s Christmas speech for 2024.
The King’s Christmas speech will air around 3pm (Image: Getty)
How to watch the King’s Speech and what time will it be on in 2024?
The King’s Christmas speech is usually broadcast on One, Two, ITV1 and Sky news. You can also usually listen to it on Radio 4. It is usually made available to watch on catch up on iPlayer and ITVX.
What will King Charles speak about?
The King’s Christmas speech is a 10-minute pre-recorded message that reflects on current issues and concerns, and what Christmas means to the monarch and their listeners. It’s a royal tradition that allows the sovereign head of state to address the public and remind them of national values.
The King often uses his Christmas speech to reflect on the past year and look forward to the following one. He may also mention current issues affecting the UK and other parts of the world.
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King Charles is set to address the nation (Image: Getty)
Where is the King’s speech filmed?
The speech is often broadcast from a sumptuous room at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, complete with a Christmas tree. Usually, the King’s Christmas speech is filmed in the Centre Room at Buckingham Palace.
The room is located in the middle of the palace’s facade and opens onto the balcony that overlooks The Mall.
However, King Charles chose to deliver his first ever Christmas speech last year from St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was laid to rest – bringing some poignancy to the occasion.