Christmas Broadcast 1964

Published

You young people are needed; there is a great task ahead of you - the building of a new world.

The Queen's Christmas Broadcast in 1964 addressed the important role of the Commonwealth in a year in which anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was jailed in South Africa, and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru died.

As I begin my Christmas Broadcast to you, the people of Great Britain and of the other Commonwealth countries, my mind travels far away, and for one moment I seem to be with you in many countries, which are now almost as familiar as my own native land.

To you all, my family and I send our affectionate greetings and hope that your Christmas is a happy one.

Let us think for a moment about this great Commonwealth. What is this wealth which we have in common and which is so much more than our collective resources, massive though they are?

I know that life is hard for many. The problems which face mankind often seem to defy solution. Some of our Commonwealth friends overseas are grappling with difficulties unknown in a complex industrial country such as Great Britain.

There are difficulties of over-population, there is hunger, and drought and lack of power. There are yearly tens of thousands of young people flocking into schools, seeking education.

I welcome the chance of hearing more about these problems when individual Ministers from the Commonwealth come to this country, and also on such special occasions as the Prime Ministers' Meetings.

At moments like this I have the benefit, not only of getting to know some of my Prime Ministers better, but of welcoming leaders from the new nations of the Commonwealth.

I value very highly these meetings, which allow me to draw on the wisdom of such a representative gathering. I believe that in God's good time all the peoples of our Commonwealth, working side by side, will attain prosperity.

The thread which runs through our Commonwealth is love of freedom, and it is perhaps in this, more than in anything else, that our real wealth lies. Now the word 'freedom', like the word 'democracy', is a simple one implying a simple idea, and yet freedom, to be effective, must be disciplined.

Absolute freedom is a state unknown to the historian. The many ancient institutions and traditions which we have inherited, and which are familiar to us all, provide a framework and a dignified background to our way of life. If it is not to degenerate, freedom must be maintained by a thousand invisible forces, self-discipline, the Common Law, the right of citizens to assemble, and to speak and argue.

We do not wish to impose a particular form of Government on any peoples in the world; we merely say, "This is what we do; we know it's not perfect, but it is the best system that we have been able to create after many centuries of trial and error."

All of us who have been blessed with young families know from long experience that when one's house is at its noisiest, there is often less cause for anxiety. The creaking of a ship in a heavy sea is music in the ears of the captain on the bridge. In fact little is static and without movement there can be no progress.

Some speak today as though the age of adventure and initiative is past. On the contrary, never have the challenges been greater or more urgent. The fight against poverty, malnutrition and ignorance is harder than ever, and we must do all in our power to see that science is directed towards solving these problems.

I would like to say one more word to the young people of the Commonwealth. Upon you rests our hope for the future. You young people are needed; there is a great task ahead of you - the building of a new world.

You have brains and courage, imagination and humanity; direct them to the things that have to be achieved in this century, if mankind is to live together in happiness and prosperity.

God bless you and a very, very happy Christmas to you all.

Related content

Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver, Canada, 7 October 2002

Je chéris ma place dans la vie du Canada et mon lien avec tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes.

07 October 2002

Legislative Assembly in Nunavut, Canada, 4 October 2002

I am proud to be the first member of the Canadian Royal Family to be greeted in Canada's newest territory.

04 October 2002

Opening ceremony of the 17th Commonwealth Games, Manchester, 25 July 2002

It is my pleasure in this my Golden Jubilee Year to declare the 17th Commonwealth Games open.

25 July 2002

Golden Jubilee visit to Liverpool, 25 July 2002

I am glad to be in Merseyside, which must be one of the most distinctive and energetic parts of the United Kingdom.

25 July 2002

A speech by The Queen on her Golden Jubilee

I hope that these celebrations will remind us of our shared heritage and what it means to be a united people, enjoying the support of families, friends and neighbours around...

04 June 2002

The death of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, 8 April 2002

I thank you for the support you are giving me and my family as we come to terms with her death and the void she has left in our midst.

08 April 2002
Press release 30 March 2002

Death of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

Read more
Press release 13 March 2002

Details of the Golden Jubilee weekend

Read more

Roma Street Parkland, Brisbane, Australia, 3 March 2002

We have both been struck by both the diversity as well as the dynamism of Australia, and the vigour and humour of Australians everywhere.

03 March 2002

Opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government, Australia, 2 March 2002

It is our very diversity which makes the Commonwealth strong.

03 March 2002

Adelaide Festival Hall, Australia, 27 February 2002

Whatever may lie ahead, I declare again here tonight that my admiration, affection and regard for the people of Australia will remain, as it has been over these past fifty...

27 February 2002

Maori gathering at Rehua Marae, Christchurch, New Zealand, 25 February 2002

New Zealand is working to improve and strengthen all the various relationships between Maori and the Crown.

25 February 2002

State dinner in Wellington, New Zealand, 25 February 2002

It is both a privilege and a pleasure to have served as Queen of New Zealand for these fifty years.

25 February 2002

Jamaican Parliament, 19 February 2002

The Commonwealth remains one of the strongest pillars for the building of world-wide peace, growth and development.

19 February 2002
Press release 09 February 2002

Death of Princess Margaret

Read more
Press release 01 February 2002

Diary of events in the early life of The Queen

Read more

Christmas Broadcast 2001

For Christmas marks a moment to pause, to reflect and believe in the possibilities of rebirth and renewal.

25 December 2001
Press release 01 December 2001

The Queen's Christmas cards exhibition

Read more

Christmas Broadcast 2000

By any measure this Millennium year has been an unforgettable one.

25 December 2000

Christmas Broadcast 1999

This December we are looking back not just on one year, but on a hundred years and a thousand years.

25 December 1999

Christmas Broadcast 1998

Though we each lead different lives, the experience of growing older, and the joys and emotions which it brings, are familiar to us all.

25 December 1998

A speech by The Queen on her Golden Wedding Anniversary

He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.

20 November 1997

A speech by The Queen following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales

May those who died rest in peace and may we, each and every one of us, thank God for someone who made many, many people happy.

05 September 1997

Christmas Broadcast 1996

I remember my own childhood Christmases here, with my father and mother, and a great family gathering, and now I delight in seeing my children and grandchildren enjoying the...

25 December 1996

Christmas Broadcast 1995

But I cannot think of any Christmas of my reign when the message of the angels has been more apt.

25 December 1995

Christmas Broadcast 1994

To see British and Russian veterans standing together, in memory of the sacrifices of their comrades-in-arms, was a moving experience.

25 December 1994

Christmas Broadcast 1954

So, our Commonwealth hearth becomes more precious than ever before by the contrast between its homely security and the storm which sometimes seems to be brewing outside, in...

25 December 1994

Christmas Broadcast 1993

We have indeed become a global village.

25 December 1993

Christmas Broadcast 1992

I first came here for Christmas as a grandchild. Nowadays, my grandchildren come here for the same family festival.

25 December 1992

A speech by The Queen on the 40th Anniversary of her succession (Annus horribilis speech)

1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.

24 November 1992

Christmas Broadcast 1991

I am constantly amazed by the generosity of donors and subscribers, great and small, who give so willingly and often towards the enjoyment of others.

25 December 1991

Christmas Broadcast 1990

I hope that all of us lucky enough to be able to enjoy such gatherings this Christmas will take time to count our blessings.

25 December 1990

Christmas Broadcast 1989

Unlike all the other planets in the solar system, earth shimmers green and blue in the sunlight and looks a very pleasant place to live.

25 December 1989

Christmas Broadcast 1988

May the Christmas story encourage you, for it is a message of hope every year, not for a few, but for all.

25 December 1988

A speech by The Queen to mark Australia's bicentenary

More than ten thousand men and women can take great pride in the parts they have played in the creation of this symbol of Australian unity and democracy.

09 May 1988

Christmas Broadcast 1987

I hope we will all help each other to have a happy Christmas and, when the New Year comes, resolve to work for tolerance and understanding between all people.

25 December 1987

Christmas Broadcast 1986

There are many serious and threatening problems in this country and in the world but they will never be solved until there is peace in our homes and love in our hearts.

25 December 1986

Christmas Broadcast 1985

These success stories are often pushed into the background but they are the guarantee of our future.

25 December 1985

Christmas Broadcast 1984

But friendship, whether we are talking of continents or next door neighbours, should not need strife as its forerunner.

25 December 1984

Christmas Broadcast 1983

I hope that Christmas will remind us all that it is not how we communicate but what we communicate with each other that really matters.

25 December 1983

Christmas Broadcast 1982

Throughout history, seamen all over the world have shared a common experience and there is a special sense of brotherhood between merchant and naval seamen, fishermen...

25 December 1982

Christmas Broadcast 1981

All around us we see these acts of selflessness, people putting the life of someone else before their own.

25 December 1981

Christmas Broadcast 1980

I come across examples of unselfish service in all walks of life and in many unexpected places.

25 December 1980

Christmas Broadcast 1979

Today we celebrate the birth of the child who transformed history and gave us a great faith.

25 December 1979

Christmas Broadcast 1978

My grandfather, King George V, started the tradition of the Christmas Day Broadcasts back in 1932.

25 December 1978

A speech by The Queen to Parliament on her Silver Jubilee

Perhaps this Jubilee is a time to remind ourselves of the benefits which union has conferred, at home and in our international dealings, on the inhabitants of all parts of...

04 May 1977

Christmas Broadcast 1976

Remember that good spreads outwards and every little does help.

25 December 1976

Christmas Broadcast 1973

I believe that Christmas should remind us that the qualities of the human spirit are more important than material gain.

25 December 1973

Christmas Broadcast 1971

The Christmas message is really one for all seasons and not just for one day of the year.

25 December 1971