David Attenborough, as he would until 1991, produced the Christmas message broadcast, which in 1986 was filmed in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace and stressed society's responsibility towards children.

The Queen mentioned the Remembrance Day bombing in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and stressed the importance of tolerance and forgiveness.

Along with added references to the Clapham Junction rail crash, the Lockerbie disaster, and the Armenian earthquake that all occurred after the main broadcast was recorded, the Queen reflected on three important anniversaries: the 400th of the Spanish Armada, the 300th of the arrival in Britain of the future William III and Mary II, and the 200th of the founding of Australia.

The Queen read her Christmas speech from the Royal Albert Hall, recorded at a special gala occasion for Save the Children, meaning that, for the first time, an audience heard the speech prior to its international airing. The Queen reflected on the sense of wonder as a child, as well as Jesus Christ's Parable of The Good Samaritan, and how that could spur on meaningful environmental and cultural change. She, and the Princess Royal also spoke to children at the end of the broadcast.

The Queen paid tribute to the role of the armed services in the context of imminent war in the Persian Gulf.

The message reflected on the enormous changes taking place across Eastern Europe and Russia, which included the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the importance of democratic traditions.