The Royal Navy has published its 2025 Christmas advert, Silent Night: On the Frontline.
The film draws directly on the experiences of HMS Diamond during her 2023 deployment in the Red Sea, using both recreated scenes and operational footage shot during a real drone interception.
The advert contrasts a family hearing a choir sing Silent Night with the crew of a Type 45 destroyer reacting to an incoming attack drone on Christmas Eve. The sequence includes a Sea Viper launch recorded during HMS Diamond’s six-month mission protecting allied warships and merchant vessels from Houthi missiles and drones.
Impressively, the film was produced internally by the Royal Navy Video Production Unit, part of the photographic branch, to ensure the result reflects lived experience.
Commander Peter Evans, who commanded Diamond during the deployment, said the advert mirrors the pressure the ship’s company faced. “This is based around our real-life Christmas eve at sea in the Gulf of Aden. The reality was that we were so committed to our mission that Christmas was distant in our minds. Being away from our families over Christmas is always hard but it was made easier for us. We knew that without HMS Diamond lives were at risk on other ships in the region.”
Evans said the message he sees in the film is rooted in the value of the ship’s company and their families. “The first is how important every sailor is onboard, regardless of their rank or role. The second is how important our families are, and how much strength we draw from them. We felt so proud to be able to be protecting them.”
To recreate the operational sequences, Royal Navy photographers filmed on HMS Duncan to match the layout and movement of a Type 45 on tasking. Petty Officer James Clarke said achieving a realistic tone was the central aim. “Filming on warships always brings challenges, but balancing authenticity with creativity is the hardest part. We set out to make the film feel as real and raw as possible, putting viewers in the shoes of the ship’s company.”
Clarke added that including the genuine missile-launch footage was essential. “Including a genuine missile launch captured by one of our Navy photographers during a real drone attack really drives that authenticity home.”
The advert is running on Royal Navy YouTube and social media and is also appearing on digital screens across the UK and at Piccadilly Circus through December. The service says the production reflects the day-to-day demands of deployed operations and the strain placed on families during long periods at sea.
What a lovely video. The military/government need to be pumping more videos out like this.