There are some traditions more important than others. The Christmas speech of the reigning King or Queen is very important to the British. It is an opportunity for the monarch to send his best wishes to the nation. While in 2022, Charles III’s speech was full of nostalgia for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, disappeared a few months before, this year things seem to have changed. Indeed, according to expert Richard Fitzwilliams, the King should give a slightly more joyful and warm speech. It must be said that before her first speech, Queen Elizabeth II had 69 years of experience. Over the years, William and Harry’s grandmother even established new traditions by offering a specific gift to its employees. But the British, especially the press, remember in particular his speech in 1992 which was a bit special.
In 1992, two days before Christmas and therefore the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s famous speech, The Sun revealed important details of this moment awaited by the entire nation. Indeed, the newspaper published the Queen’s Christmas speech in its center pages, repeating almost word for word the text of the five-minute broadcast, recorded at Sandringham. This case judged as “very regrettable” by Buckingham Palace triggered a major investigation on the part of the BBC. While some claim that the broadcast could have been captured by an enthusiast using a satellite, others point the finger a mole at the BBC.
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The Sun paid damages to the Queen
To prevent this from happening again, precautions have been put in place by Buckingham Palace. A crackdown on the future availability of the speech in the global press has been put in place, and the royal family warned other media against publishing information from the newspaper. A few months later, the Queen threatened legal action against The Sun for alleged copyright infringement with the newspaper. Even though the newspaper’s editor-in-chief defended himself by insisting that it was a “journalistic scoop“, The Sun still paid £200,000 — the equivalent of 230,000 euros — in damages.
Article written in collaboration with 6Medias.
Photo credits: Youtube via Bestimage