Although Great Britain has become more secular in recent years, Queen Elizabeth has become more explicitly Christian in her messages. This is most notably addressed in her annual Christmas broadcast message, a staple of any Britain household on Christmas Day, according to Beliefnet.
A survey of the broadcasts reveals that for the majority of the time, the Queen had only spoken about the religious significance of Christmas in passing. During the past approximately 20 years of her reign, though, her messages have taken on a different tone where she shares her own personal faith. In 2014, she described her faith as “the anchor in my life.”
The Christmas broadcast is a perfect way for the queen to speak about Christianity, because it is an unscripted segment not regulated by the government. In 2017, she said, “Billions of people now follow Christ’s teaching and find in Him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them, because Christ’s example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love, whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe.”
The turning point for the queen was in 2000, or the start of the millennium. This broadcast was devoted to sharing an account of Christ’s life and teachings. She concluded by saying he “provide(s) a framework in which I try to lead my life.”
Queen Elizabeth was heavily influenced by her friendship with evangelist Billy Graham. The pair created an unlikely friendship in the 1950s and visited each other multiple times over the following decades. including Easter Sunday in 1995.
“No one in Britain has been more cordial toward us than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Graham wrote in his 1997 autobiography, “Just As I Am.”
“[The Queen] has always been deeply religious,” Robert Lacey, The Crown’s historical consultant told People. “She was close to the Rev. Billy Graham in his prime, inviting him to preach at Windsor whenever he was in Britain, and meeting up with him when she visited the States. He helped her with a Christmas broadcast in the ‘90s. Her Christian faith is fundamental to her in an old-time evangelical way.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
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