The Queen's Speech

      In September 1939, King George VI addressed his people across British Empire and Commonwealth as World War II was beginning, 

King George VI

in a speech which has gained fame as the climactic moment in the 2010 Oscar-winning film, The King’s Speech. George rallied them to the war effort by asserting that the rights, liberties, culture, and heritage of the Empire were under threat, and that if they were to be maintained, there would have to be united front to defeat the Nazi’s and the doctrine that “might is right.” At the end, he said:

The task will be hard. There may be dark days ahead, and war can no longer be confined to the battlefield, but we can only do the right as we see the right, and reverently commit our cause to God.

     

     There is no doubt that the king’s eldest daughter and heiress presumptive, the 13-year-old Princess Elizabeth, listened to her father’s speech, and like most people, was comforted and strengthened by his words. She herself (along with her sister, Princess Margaret) gave a radio speech to the children of Britain – many of whom were being sent away from home to safety, either to the countryside or out of Britain entirely. When Britain and the Empire emerged victorious in 1945, King George probably hoped that his family and his peoples would never have to live in the shadow of war again. Furthermore, he also probably hoped that Elizabeth would never have to give a speech like the one he gave six years earlier. But throughout much of the Queen’s reign, Britain and the entire world faced the prospect of nuclear conflict as Cold War between East and West girded on. 

     As it was (thankfully), the Elizabeth II never had to give a “Queen’s Speech” which would have emulated what her wartime father did in 1939. But the UK National Archives – under Britain’s 

Recently disclosed documents reveal a Queen's
Speech for the outbreak of World War III.

disclosure rules – recently released information of a 1983 war simulation in which Britain faced nuclear attack from the Soviet Union (codenamed “Orange”Among other things, there were details on arresting members of paramilitary organizations such as the Scottish National Liberation Army, informing military officers overseas on what to do if communication with London were lost (presumably because it had been bombed), procedures on what to do if an election resulted in the reins of government changing from one party to another, and an address drafted for the Queen to read to the nation in March 1983 on the eve of “World War III.” 

Here is the full text of the speech:

When I spoke to you less than three months ago we were all enjoying the warmth and fellowship of a family Christmas. Our thoughts were concentrated on the strong links that bind each generation to the ones that came before and those that will follow. The horrors of war could not have seemed more remote as my family and I shared our Christmas joy with the growing family of the Commonwealth.

Now this madness of war is once more spreading through the world and our brave country must again prepare itself to survive against great odds.

I have never forgotten the sorrow and the pride I felt as my sister and I huddled around the nursery wireless set listening to my father's inspiring words on that fateful day in 1939. Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.

We all know that the dangers facing us today are greater by far than at any time in our long history. The enemy is not the soldier with his rifle nor even the airman prowling the skies above our cities and towns but the deadly power of abused technology.

But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength.
My husband and I share with families up and down the land the fear we feel for sons and daughters, husbands and brothers who have left our side to serve their country. My beloved son Andrew is at this moment in action with his unit and we pray continually for his safety and for the safety of all servicemen and women at home and overseas.
It is this close bond of family life that must be our greatest defence against the unknown. If families remain united and resolute, giving shelter to those living alone and unprotected, our country's will to survive cannot be broken.

My message to you therefore is simple. Help those who cannot help themselves, give comfort to the lonely and the homeless and let your family become the focus of hope and life to those who need it.

As we strive together to fight off the new evil let us pray for our country and men of goodwill wherever they may be.

God bless you all.

     
     The solemn (and haunting) address hits many points, including some that George VI made in his pre-war speech. It is particularly interesting that she refers to the British response to the last two world wars as bench marks for how the British people of 1983 ought to stand in firm resolve against the latest threat to world peace. But the fact that she refers to the enemy not as a country, or even a political ideology, but as the “deadly power of abused technology” emphasizes the point that unlike those previous wars, this one has the ability to wipe out millions of people in a single stroke. The Queen expresses her concern for Prince Andrew, who was a Royal Navy helicopter pilot aboard the HMS Invincible, which shows a personal connection to this war for the royal family as many other British service families are concerned about their sons and daughters in harm’s way. Like her father, she wanted the people of Britain to stand together and help one another like their mothers, fathers, and grandparents had done in years past, and gives hope that the nation and the people will survive.

     In many ways, this was a speech which could have been the last one the Queen gave. It makes me shudder to think about it (which makes this a difficult blog posting to write), and I believe the civil servant responsible for writing it must have felt the same way. During the Cuban Missile Crises, President Kennedy’s speechwriter, Ted Sorensen, supposedly could not bring himself to draft a speech announcing pre-emptive airstrikes on Cuba, which likely would have led to nuclear war. We now know that Kennedy drafte done himself in case a deal was not reached with the Soviets to withdraw their missiles from Cuba. Thankfully, neither of these speeches by Kennedy or the Queen had to be delivered.

     But in a worst-case nuclear scenario, what would have happened to the Queen? When the royal yacht Britannia was decommissioned in 1997, it was revealed that vessel was supposed to be loaded with the monarch and members of her family. Britannia would then sail up to the Scottish lochs to hide from 

HMY Britannia

Soviet radar detection, for in the event that the prime minister and the London government were knocked out, only the Queen could appoint a new prime minister. Under this scenario, the business of constitutional monarchy would be carried out and a new government would carry on with the conflict. In the 1983 war games exercise, it is envisioned that the NATO alliance would have devastated “Orange” and its allies, and that it would therefore open peace negotiations.

     In response to the revelations, Buckingham Palace would not comment on whether the Queen had read out or viewed this speech, saying only that she has received and viewed various government papers throughout her reign. I tend to believe that she did see it at the time since these types of papers usually go through her as she is the monarch, and if she did, I cannot begin to imagine what her feelings may have been. 

     Again, thankfully, she never had to give it to the nation, and we should all be hopeful that no world leader shall give a speech like it – all because of the “deadly power of abused technology.”

A copy of the Queen's wartime address.

 




















Photo Credit: Lzur via Wikimedia Commons cc, Lynda Poulter via Creative Commons cc