"Cue the queen celebrating the Christmas speech 2015" is a documentary about the Queen's Christmas Message, a yearly broadcast made by the sovereign of the Commonwealth realms to the Commonwealth of Nations each Christmas. The first such broadcast took place in 1932, with King George the V and since 1952 the message has been delivered by Queen Elizabeth the II, the longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.
The documentary talks about the recording technology in the early days, how difficult these things were to make, and how the monarch had to get it right in one take. The first speech in 1932 was actually written by Rudyard Kipling. Talk about a speechwriter!
The coolest thing about it is the footage of the queen in between takes, when she's smiling, taking instructions, just... being, I suppose. I had never seen footage of her like that, and it was kinda cool.
The documentary, however, isn't solely about the queen. Indeed it follows the lives of the three monarchs whose voices were recorded at Christmas, since the first message, by King George V. It covers the reluctance of George, the V in recording the first message, and a few key speeches he made during his time. The documentary then moves on to his son, George VI, and his anxiety over the message, given his speech difficulties, something already depicted in some detail in "The King's Speech", a few years ago. It talks about how his speech therapist was with him, in the room, during that first speech, and how his therapist went on with the speaking exercises up until the very last minute. It also mentions some of the most important speeches of the king, like the Christmas of 1951, when there was a general anxiety among the people, given the fact that the king had recently had surgery, a mere few months ago.
These recordings allowed for something monumental at the time: they carried the voice of the monarch into the houses of the common people. It's not something easy to understand nowadays when princes and princesses talk to the people through social media accounts, but back then, most people had no idea what the monarch sounded like. They wouldn't have heard his/her voice unless they attended an event where the king happened to be. It was a big deal.
It's also not entirely straightforward to understand how nervous these young kings and queens were to deliver this particular speech, especially in the beginning. I mean, there aren't many people who fret over recording themselves saying something or other and posting it online for the world to see, be that in the form of youtube videos, Instagram stories, or whatever else. Back then, however, being recorded made them anxious. George VI needed his speech therapist there, standing behind the team, not only as a therapist, but also as a friend, and indeed, it is reported he gave his friend a little nod, shortly before starting, relying on his reassurance. Queen Elizabeth II too found it difficult to fulfill this particular duty, especially when they made the transition from radio to TV. That year, the queen froze, unable to say even a word. In her case it was her husband, Prince Philip, who stood behind one of the spare cameras and made her laugh, allowing for her to finally relax and proceed with the speech. There is something very heartwarming about seeing these instances of the monarch being supported by someone who loves them, something entirely in the spirit of the holidays...
I realize this isn't a traditional entry to this year's Christmas marathon, so there won't be any of the traditional elements, like Best Song or Christmas Hallmark Moment... But I thought it was still a worthwhile little movie to include... A way to shake things a bit, with an actually Royal Christmas, rather than a fictional one...
"Over the years the Christmas Broadcast has served as a chronicle of personal, national, and global events, which have affected the queen, as well as her audience."
Cue the queen celebrating the Christmas speech | UK | 2015 | Director: John Hayes Fisher | Writer: Emma Haw
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