Hear this famous speech here:
King George VI's Christmas message of 1939
Christmas is a time of light and celebration. But darkness is all around on Dec. 25, 1939, as citizens of the British Empire face another world war. Amid the gloom, King George VI resurrects a tradition his father launched: an annual Christmas message to all inhabitants of the Empire. In this excerpt from his speech, broadcast in Canada by the CBC, the King says the Empire shall remain undaunted in the face of war.
The speech would go on to be famous. King George VI, not usually a compelling speaker, inspires and reassures his people by quoting a poem: "I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be better than light, and safer than a known way.'"
(Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)
King George VI's Christmas message of 1939
Christmas is a time of light and celebration. But darkness is all around on Dec. 25, 1939, as citizens of the British Empire face another world war. Amid the gloom, King George VI resurrects a tradition his father launched: an annual Christmas message to all inhabitants of the Empire. In this excerpt from his speech, broadcast in Canada by the CBC, the King says the Empire shall remain undaunted in the face of war.
The speech would go on to be famous. King George VI, not usually a compelling speaker, inspires and reassures his people by quoting a poem: "I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be better than light, and safer than a known way.'"
(Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)
