Special address by the British monarch

For the message on Christmas Day, see Royal Christmas message. For other royal addresses or royal addresses in other nations, see Royal address (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with State Opening of Parliament.

Special addresses by the monarch of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms (and previously of the British Empire and its Dominions), outside the annual Royal Christmas Message and the Commonwealth Day Message, only take place at times of significant national or royal events.

It was only in the 20th century, with the advent of radio, that the monarch was able to address all their subjects at once. On Christmas Day in 1932, King George V became the first monarch to make a live radio broadcast to the Commonwealth. The tradition of the monarch's Christmas Day broadcast continues to this day. Special addresses by the monarch on days other than Christmas Day, however, are extremely rare and have occurred only at times of significant national or royal events.

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