The Queen’s Christmas speech to be broadcast on Amazon’s Alexa devices

Amazon Echo devices can play the speech via voice commands in world first

(Getty Images)

The Queen’s speech will be made available on Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices, the company has announced.

Asking an Amazon Echo speaker or other smart-device “Alexa, play The Queen’s Christmas Day Message” or “Alexa, play Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Day Message” after 3:00pm on Christmas day will play a recording of the speech.

“After a challenging year, millions of people from across the Commonwealth will be eagerly awaiting Her Majesty the Queen’s message on Christmas Day,” said Eric King, Director of Alexa Europe.

“By creating this world-first innovation, just as we did in 2012 with the release of The Queen’s Christmas Speech on Kindle, we hope that even more people will be able to enjoy the uplifting words of Her Majesty. This really is one for the history books and showcases just how far technology has advanced since the very first speech was delivered back in 1932.”

Users will have to have their Amazon Echo set to English, including British, American, Australian, Canadian or the Indian English language setting.

It is expected that the monarch’s speech will focus on the coronavirus pandemic and how it has affected families who have been separated, although there have been reports that the speech’s recording has been delayed due to uncertainty over Brexit.

“Normally she films it in early December, certainly by the middle of the month, but this time it’s later than usual. There’s talk it could happen on Wednesday or Thursday” one unnamed source said. “The country could be a very different place by then with us possibly leaving the EU without a deal.”

Buckingham Palace did not deny the report but said it would not comment on speculation.

Amazon recently announced new Alexa devices including a new Echo that follows users around the room showing Netflix, a security camera for the car and a surveillance drone that flies around the house.