The Crown on the Air
Broadcasting House
1923–1953 · Broadcasting House
17 EpisodesFortnightlyPGSince 1923
Episodes
Start here
Listen to the run in order
Restored broadcasts from 1923, in original transmission order.
- 1. Empire Day message to the British Empire · 24 May 1923
- 2. The Abdication — farewell message, part one · 11 Dec 1936
- 3. The Abdication — farewell message, part two · 11 Dec 1936
Empire Day message to the British Empire
24 May 1923 · 3 min
King George V and Queen Mary address the children of the Empire on Empire Day, 24 May 1923 — among the earliest surviving recordings of a reigning British monarch speaking to a broadcast audience. Disc transfer held by the Internet Archive.
The Abdication — farewell message, part one
11 Dec 1936 · 4 min
Edward VIII from Windsor Castle, 11 December 1936, hours after signing the Instrument of Abdication. Commercial disc transfer, first part. Disc transfer held by the Internet Archive.
The Abdication — farewell message, part two
11 Dec 1936 · 4 min
The conclusion of the abdication broadcast, including the passage on the woman he loved and the appeal for support for his brother. Disc transfer held by the Internet Archive.
The Abdication — a second surviving pressing
11 Dec 1936 · 3 min
An alternate contemporary disc issue of the same broadcast, pressed for sale within days of the transmission. Disc transfer held by the Internet Archive.
The Abdication — complete broadcast
11 Dec 1936 · 6 min
The abdication address in a single unbroken transfer, with Sir John Reith's introduction. Disc transfer held by the Internet Archive.
The Coronation of King George VI — Zadok the Priest, part one
12 May 1937 · 4 min
Recorded inside Westminster Abbey at the coronation of George VI, 12 May 1937 — the first coronation ever broadcast live, and the first recorded in the building. Disc transfer held by the Internet Archive.
The Coronation of King George VI — Zadok the Priest, part two
12 May 1937 · 3 min
The anointing anthem concludes; from the official HMV recording of the Abbey service. Disc transfer held by the Internet Archive.
Princess Elizabeth's broadcast to the children
13 Oct 1940 · 3 min
Fourteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth speaks on Children's Hour to the evacuated children of Britain and the Commonwealth, with Princess Margaret at the close. Her first broadcast. Disc transfer held by the Internet Archive.
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