The Queen was reportedly “convinced” by Prince Philip to embrace a key feature of her reign that led to a “new kind of intimacy” being demanded of her as monarch.
- Her Majesty might now conduct her Christmas address every year but she’s said to have “resisted” being filmed early on in her reign.
- It’s said that Prince Philip inspired her to embrace television as part of her reign and she focused on practising to appear “warm and natural”.
- This royal news comes as the real reason why the Queen will miss the Commonwealth Games was revealed.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend might now be over but the best Platinum Jubilee moments featuring Her Majesty and the extended Royal Family will be remembered for many decades to come. The Queen’s celebrations were also televised live, allowing millions of people at home to enjoy watching the packed schedule of events in honor of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. But whilst the broadcasting of royal moments has become more commonplace in recent years, this wasn’t always the case.
And according to author and historian Amanda Foreman, it seems that Prince Philip played a huge part in encouraging the Queen to embrace television as a major part of her reign. Opening up to Harper’s Bazaar (opens in new tab), she discussed the momentous impact of the Queen’s coronation being televised for the very first time.
And it seems that this soon led to far more being “demanded” of Her Majesty...
She revealed, “The 1953 broadcast enabled 27 million Britons and 55 million Americans to participate in the ‘show’ from the comfort of their homes. It was a new kind of intimacy that demanded more from Elizabeth II than any previous monarch.”
Amanda then went on to suggest that after initially being reluctant to be filmed in this way, it was actually the late Duke of Edinburgh who “convinced” the Queen of its importance.
“The Queen had resisted being filmed, but having been convinced by Prince Philip of its necessity, she worked to master the medium,” the author and historian claimed. “She practiced reading off a teleprompter so that her 1957 Christmas speech, the first to be telecast, would appear warm and natural.”
Since the Queen’s first TV Christmas speech, Her Majesty’s festive addresses have become a firm favorite for many families on Christmas Day. Reflecting on the past year and looking ahead to what could come, the Queen paid tribute to Prince Philip in her most recent speech as she marked her first festive season since his passing.
Coming across every bit as “warm and natural” as she’d hoped to be all those years ago, Prince Philip’s reported encouragement to embrace television as a key aspect of her reign has had a huge impact. He is also said to have been hugely involved in the decision to televise her coronation - a moment Amanda believes instigated a “new kind of intimacy” demanded of the Queen.
The Duke of Edinburgh was a constant source of support to the Queen in his lifetime and her beloved “strength and stay” was made the Chair of her Coronation Commission. According to the Royal Collection Trust (opens in new tab), Prince Philip “particularly encouraged” the live television broadcast of certain parts of the Coronation Service.
This went on to be a huge success and the coronation remains one the stand-out moments of the Queen’s reign. Since then other major royal occasions have also been televised live, including the emotional Service of Thanksgiving for Prince Philip earlier this year.
Whilst the most recent example is of course none other than the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, where fans tuned in to watch everything from the Platinum Party at the Palace to the Trooping the Color broadcast. Looking ahead it’s not clear what the text televised royal moment might be, but it seems the Queen has truly embraced this key aspect of her reign.
