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On December 25, as the royal family celebrate their first Christmas since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III's debut Christmas speech to the nation will be broadcast as part of a royal tradition marking it's 90th anniversary in 2022.
The sovereign's speech forms a key part of traditional British Christmas celebrations, with over nine million people tuning in to watch on TV in 2021, with more listening on the radio and streaming online.
Used as an opportunity for national reflection on the events of the previous year, the speech traditionally features the themes of community and faith at it's core.
But how can you watch the king's Christmas speech? Newsweek has the answers.
When is King Charles III's Christmas Speech Aired?
The sovereign's Christmas speech is broadcast each year on December 25 at 3:00 p.m. GMT.
This time was set by King George V when he delivered his first Christmas speech in a radio broadcast in 1932. Unlike today, the monarch had to deliver his speech live from a specially re-purposed room at Sandringham House which was transformed into a recording studio.
The time 3:00 p.m. was chosen as it was the most convenient daylight hour across the time zones of the then-British Empire.
The first speech was written for the king by the celebrated author Rudyard Kipling.
Today the sovereigns speeches are recorded ahead of Christmas Day and are edited together with archive clips from events throughout the year, as well as musical elements including the national anthem to start and a carol to close.
Where Will King Charles' Speech Air Live?
On December 25, 2022, Charles' first Christmas speech will be broadcast on Britain's BBC and ITV networks at 3:00 p.m.
Radio broadcasts will be made simultaneously on BBC Radio 4, the BBC World Service and Classic FM.
Internationally the speech is also broadcast across the Commonwealth, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
For viewers in the U.S. the speech is uploaded to the royal family's YouTube channel following the live broadcast.
Two versions of the Christmas speech have historically been recorded for broadcast on Christmas Day; one for radio and one for television.
Elizabeth became the first monarch to record a television broadcast at Christmas in 1957.
Opening her speech that year, she said: "Twenty-five years ago my grandfather broadcast the first of these Christmas messages. Today is another landmark because television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day. My own family often gather round to watch television as they are this moment, and that is how I imagine you now.
"I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct."
Royal Christmas Speech Fact Sheet
1. 2022 will mark Charles' first Christmas speech. It will also be his second address to the nation since becoming king.
2. Traditionally sovereigns reference developments in the royal family during their speech, which have included reflections on births, deaths and marriages. Charles is expected to pay tribute to his mother in his first speech, following her death on September 8.
3. Elizabeth delivered a Christmas speech every year of her reign, except one. In 1969 she made the decision to issue a printed statement instead of a recording, in response to the broadcast of a controversial fly-on-the-wall royal documentary that aired earlier that year.
4. To date three monarchs have delivered Christmas broadcasts to the nation; King George V, who began the tradition in 1932; King George VI, who gave his first speech in 1937; and Queen Elizabeth II, who gave 69 speeches in total. There was no broadcast in 1936 as King Edward VIII, who inherited the throne from his father George V in January, abdicated on December 11. It was decided that his successor, George VI, would skip the tradition that year.
5. In 1992, the year of her "annus horribilis" and intense public interest in royal dramas, the queen's speech was leaked when tabloid newspaper The Sun broke a media embargo two days before Christmas. The monarch threatened to sue for breach of copyright and received a front page apology.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more