Each year, the sovereign addresses the nation on Christmas day and touches upon different events and themes. In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II made one of her most difficult Christmas speeches after one of her most difficult years.

In August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales tragically lost her life in a car accident in Paris. Millions around the planet expressed their shock and grief following her passing. And, for a few days, Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family were criticised for their private grieving. 

At Christmas that year, Queen Elizabeth spoke of the world’s mourning and the effect it had on her family. She said ”We all felt the shock and sorrow of Diana’s death. Thousands upon thousands of you expressed your grief most poignantly in the wonderful flowers and messages left in tribute to her. That was a great comfort to all those close to her, while people all around the world joined us here in Britain for that service in Westminster Abbey.”

It was a difficult message to navigate as Queen Elizabeth also reflected on events that had brought joy to her and her family. Her Majesty returned to Westminster Abbey for one of them, speaking of the day that she and Prince Philip marked their Golden Wedding anniversary, noting ”on our own anniversary day, came a very different service at Westminster Abbey… a service of thanksgiving for our 50 happy years together. After that service we had a chance to meet and chat to so many different people.”

Queen Elizabeth II was also able to reflect on another historic moment as the restoration of Windsor Castle was completed, following a destructive fire in 1992. Queen Elizabeth said of this ”I will never forget that day, nor a day five years ago when Windsor Castle suffered a terrible fire… But out of the disaster came opportunities for all sorts of people to display their range of skills, their love of history, and their faith in the future.”

That focus on faith in the future remained strong in this historic Christmas broadcast.