Buckingham Palace usually releases snippets of the Queen’s annual Christmas broadcast ahead of its broadcast at 3pm on Christmas Day, but this year officials have decided to shroud the speech in secrecy to ensure it has a more powerful message after such a difficult year. But an expert has told Express.co.uk what he expects Her Majesty to say this year.
Richard Fitzwilliams told this website he expects much of this year’s speech to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “The emphasis will undoubtedly be on thanking those who have participated in the community service, within the NHS and coping with an unprecedented deadly pathogen.”
But he expects the overarching message to be optimistic.
The royal expert said: “I think that the speech will be focused on the pandemic, I think there is no question about that and looking to next year.
“And also the Queen being deeply religious there’s no doubt that there will be a religious theme.
“I think in looking to the future now, these vaccines appear to be available or about to be available, there will be an optimistic element to the future as possible.”
Mr Fitzwilliams also said the Queen is likely to pay tribute to her granddaughter Princess Beatrice, after marrying Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in the summer.
The expert also expects the monarch to congratulate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their recent royal tour of the British Isles.
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“This is running it close. There is no doubt we have left the EU.
“Whether she will make a reference to the trade deal that is or isn’t done.
“It is so difficult to say at the moment because it is going mega to the wire.”
The Queen’s Christmas speech will air at 3pm and will last for 10 minutes.
The address will be shown on BBC One and ITV and will also be available on BBC Radio 4 at the same time.
The Christmas broadcast will also be made available on Amazon’s Alexa-enabled device for the first time.
Asking an Amazon Echo speaker or other smart-device “Alexa, play The Queen’s Christmas Day Message” or “Alexa, play Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Day Message” after 3pm on Christmas day will play a recording of the speech.
