A speech by The Queen to mark Australia's bicentenary

It is our very diversity which makes the Commonwealth strong.

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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...

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

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...

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

We have indeed become a global village.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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...

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

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

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

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

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...

Remember that good spreads outwards and every little does help.

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

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

Never before has there been a group of independent nations linked in this way by their common history and continuing affection.

In a short time the 1960s will be over but not out of our memories. Historians will record them as the decade in which men first reached out beyond our own planet and set foot...

At times it is almost hidden by the merry making and tinsel, but the essential message of Christmas is still that we all belong to the great brotherhood of man.

Let there be no doubt that Britain is faced with formidable problems, but let there also be no doubt she will overcome them.

The devotion of nuns and nurses, the care of mothers and wives, the service of teachers, and the conviction of reformers are the real and enduring presents which women have...

A new army is on the march which holds out the brightest hopes for all mankind.

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

We know the reward is peace on earth, goodwill toward men, but we cannot win it without determination and concerted effort.

Year by year, our families change and grow up. So does our Commonwealth family.

For that child was to show that there is nothing in heaven and earth that cannot be achieved by faith and by love and service to one's neighbour.

Although the contribution which any one person can make is small, it is real and important.

As the old year passes, let us celebrate Christmas with thanksgiving and carry its message of peace and good will into the year ahead.

Every year I look forward to opening the letters, parcels and telegrams that come to me from all parts of the world.

Twenty-five years ago my grandfather broadcast the first of these Christmas messages. Today is another landmark because television has made it possible for many of you to see...

Common ideals and hopes, not formal bonds, unite the members of the Commonwealth and promote that association between them which, in my belief, has contributed significantly...

Neither the long and troubled centuries that have passed since that child was born, nor the complex scientific developments of our age, have done anything to dim the simple...