Another Royal Flush as Queen’s Speech Is Leaked

LONDON —  In the latest scrap between the British monarchy and the media, Buckingham Palace on Wednesday denounced as “very regrettable” the early publication of the queen’s Christmas speech.

While Queen Elizabeth II’s annual five-minute address to the nation is hardly sensational, she does mention the “difficult days” her scandal-ridden Royal Family has gone through in 1992.

The queen, palace sources said, was “very upset” that her remarks, in a sharp break with tradition, were published in advance by the Sun, a tabloid newspaper that is Britain’s largest-selling daily. It called the queen’s speech “emotional” because she referred to a royal “somber year.”

“Like many other families, we have lived through some difficult days this year,” the queen reportedly says. “The prayers, understanding and sympathy given to us by so many of you in good times and bad have lent us great support and encouragement.”

Her remarks are apparently similar to those in a recent speech in London in which she described 1992 as her “annus horribilis” (horrible year).

The bad news in 1992--besides a $160-million fire that swept Windsor Castle and the Royal Family’s decision to start paying taxes--included the separations by both the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of York.

Princess Diana has announced that she will not spend Christmas at Sandringham Castle in Norfolk with the queen, Prince Charles and her sons, William and Henry. That decision has saddened the queen, palace sources say.

Her Christmas Day speech--generally innocuous--is traditionally broadcast on radio and television; it usually is taped a few days in advance, as it was this year Monday at Sandringham Castle. To make the speech available throughout her realm, at least 40 tapes are shipped or beamed by satellite to BBC radio and television outlets a few days ahead of time; the text also is made available, under embargo, until the queen’s formal, Christmas delivery.

The Sun claimed that it did not break the embargo because it did not quote from the text it was provided. Instead, the tabloid claimed that it was quoting a tape that Editor Kelvin MacKenzie said was leaked by someone working for the BBC.

It was unclear late Wednesday whether the queen might choose to deliver a new, live Christmas speech. But the Royal Family’s conservative ways would seem to dictate that this would not occur.