London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025

The four other times the Queen has addressed the nation

The Queen's televised address to the nation on Sunday night, in response to the coronavirus crisis, is only the fifth time the monarch has given such a speech in her 68-year reign.

While her Christmas Day message is an annual event, only rarely has she made rallying speeches at key moments in the life of the nation - predominantly at times of crisis and grief.

Now at a time when the UK faces what the prime minister has described as the ''worst public health crisis for a generation", the Queen is addressing the nation again.

So when were the four times the Queen previously addressed the nation in this way, and why?


Queen's Diamond Jubilee message, June 2012

The Queen's televised speech at the time of her Diamond Jubilee marked a moment of celebration. In the speech, which was broadcast around the world, she said she was "deeply touched" to see so many people celebrating the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. She said then that she hoped memories of the happy events that took place across the UK to mark the occasion would "brighten lives for many years to come".


On the death of the Queen Mother, April 2002

A decade before, the Queen had chosen to specially address the nation on the eve of her mother's funeral in 2002.

She said she had been deeply moved by the outpouring of affection, following the death of her "beloved mother" at the age of 101. In her speech, the Queen said she hoped the funeral would be a chance for thanksgiving, not just of her mother's life, but the times she had lived in. She described it as "a century for this country and the Commonwealth, not without its trials and sorrow, but also one of extraordinary progress, full of examples of courage and service, as well as fun and laughter".


On the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, September 1997

The Queen also addressed the nation on the eve of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. While other special addresses have been pre-recorded, this was broadcast live to the nation from the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Outside and clearly visible behind the Queen were crowds of thousands who had gathered outside the palace gates to lay flowers and pay tribute.

The Queen's broadcast came after she returned to London from Balmoral, in Scotland, where she had been with her grandsons, William and Harry, after the sudden death of their mother in a car crash in Paris.

The language the Queen used in the broadcast was deeply personal. She said she was speaking "from the heart" as "your Queen and as a grandmother". She paid a personal tribute to Diana, saying she had been an "exceptional and gifted human being" and that she "admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others and especially for her devotion to her two boys".

Her speech reflected on the "extraordinary and moving reaction" to Diana's death which saw many thousands of people pay their respects, laying flowers and tributes. The Queen said the funeral was an opportunity to express grief over Diana's death and gratitude for her life, while also providing an opportunity to "show to the whole world the British nation united in grief and respect".


At the time of the first Gulf War, February 1991

The Queen made a statement at the beginning of the land war in Iraq on 24 February 1991. She spoke then of the nation's pride in its armed forces and her hope that the nation would unite and pray for a "swift" success. She said she hoped this could be achieved with "as small a cost in human life and suffering as possible," adding that "then may the true reward of their courage be granted, a just and lasting peace."

In making her addresses to the nation she has followed in the footsteps of her father King George VI, who took to the wireless on 3 September 1939 to make his historic speech to those listening at home and abroad at the start of World War Two.

Speaking about the necessity of war, he said: "For the sake of all that we ourselves hold dear and of the world order and peace, it is unthinkable that we should refuse to meet the challenge."

She warned that the task would be hard and that there would be "dark days ahead", adding that war could "no longer be confined to the battlefield."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
×