The King's Christmas Speech, formally known as His Majesty The King's Christmas Message (Spanish; Castilian: Mensaje de Navidad de S.M. el Rey) is a broadcast by the reigning King of Spain to Spanish people every Christmas Eve since 1975. The speech is aired on all Spanish TV channels.[1]
The message typically combines a chronicle of that year's major events, with specific focus on politics, economy, culture and social affairs, and also the sovereign's own personal feelings on Christmas.
In Spain and on the Internet, the King's Christmas Speech is not broadcast until 21:00 on 24 December.
During his reign, King Juan Carlos I usually covered the main problems of the nation, such as ETA. In 2004, the speech was highly related to the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings; in 2006 the King discussed the need to become a united nation against terrorism (in implicit support of Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's anti-terrorist policies) and he mentioned the increasing force of immigrants in Spain and appreciated their contribution to the economy.
| --Bolded X numbers are 5 or greater --> | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch | Number | Date | Theme | |
| Juan Carlos I | 1 | February 24, 1981 | 1981 Spanish coup d'état attempt | |
| Juan Carlos I | 2 | March 11, 2004 | 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings | |
| Juan Carlos I | 3 | March 23, 2014 | Adolfo Suárez's death | |
| Juan Carlos I | 4 | June 2, 2014 | Juan Carlos I's abdication | |
| Felipe VI | 1 | October 3, 2017 | 2017 Catalan independence referendum | |
| Felipe VI | 2 | March 18, 2020 | COVID-19 pandemic in Spain |