The speech just might have been the final words ever spoken by the Queen when the threat of World War 3 was at its peak in 1983.
With Britain feared to be on the brink of annihilation at the hands of a nuclear-armed Soviet Union, the Queen's secret speech urged her "brave country" to stand firm as it faced up to the "madness of war".
The dangers were "greater by far than at any time in our long history" and she appealed to the people to remember the qualities which saw them keep freedom alive through two world wars.
She continued: "As we strive together to fight off the new evil let us pray for our country and men of goodwill wherever they may be.
"May God bless you all."
"Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.
"But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength."
The Cold War saw the world at the brink of a nuclear apocalypse and 1983 one of the most dangerous years.
US President Ronald Reagan infuriated the Soviet Union, describing it as the "evil empire".
He also made plans for a "Star Wars" ballistic missile shield in space and the deployment of US nuclear cruise missiles to Europe, heightening fears that he was ready to attack.
Tensions were ratcheted up when the Soviets shot down a South Korean airliner which strayed into its airspace killing all 269 on board, which they initially denied, blaming it on US "provocation".
A Nato military exercise, codenamed Able Archer, then nearly triggered an actual conflict with the Soviet leadership apparently convinced it was cover for a genuine attack.
It is hard to believe 30 years on just how close to war we were that such a speech needed to be prepared.
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