Amazon Echo will play Queen Elizabeth's Christmas message this year

Amazon has a special treat for Echo device owners, at least those who have their speakers set to English: Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Day message. The ability to request the message will make it easier than ever for many people across the world to hear the broadcast, one that may otherwise be a bit more difficult to access outside of the UK.

According to Amazon, you'll be able to tell your Echo device, "Alexa, play the Queen's Christmas Day message." The feature will be available to anyone who has their Echo device set to the English language. This isn't the first time Amazon has offered such access.

Back in 2012, Amazon made it possible for Kindle users to access the Christmas Day speech. Amazon users won't be the only ones who get access to the speech, of course. The Guardian notes that Google Home speaker owners will be able to tell Google Assistant to 'play BBC Radio 4' to hear the message.

The Christmas Day message will be broadcast at 3PM GMT (10AM EST / 7AM PST) on December 25. This year's message is expected to be a bit different than usual, addressing the pandemic and the ways that it has disrupted life in the UK and other countries around the world.

Many people are facing isolation this holiday season as the virus continues to spread widely in multiple countries. Public health officials have warned to avoid gathering with people who aren't in your immediate household in an effort to curb COVID's spread. Video calling software like Zoom and Skype are presented as alternatives to meeting in person.