The speech comes after a tumultuous year for the royal family.
King Charles continues to put his own stamp on the annual Christmas message.
Queen Elizabeth often gave speeches from her desk in her Buckingham Palace residence while looking at photos of her family. This year, King Charles recorded a message in the Lady Chapel of Westminster Abbey. This is the first time that a broadcast has been filmed at the abbey, which is known for hosting royal weddings and coronations.
The speech came at the end of a tumultuous year for the family. In November, the king formally stripped his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his titles and honors and tried to kick him out of the Royal Lodge over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Charles is also facing an undisclosed type of cancer, but said he received “good news” from his doctors two weeks ago and will be able to reduce his cancer treatments in the new year.
Duchess Kate has battled cancer herself, and the relationship between King Charles and Prince Harry remains fragile. (The monarch briefly met his son in September, their first meeting in 19 months, while Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are vacationing with their children in Montecito.)
Therefore, it was striking that the speech was full of themes of honor and integrity. “We need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation,” the king stressed, recalling the “courage and sacrifice” of those who fought in World War II. “As we hear of divisions at home and abroad, these are values that we must never lose sight of.” In times of uncertainty, he added, “resilience in the face of adversity, peace through forgiveness” and “respect for one another” offer hope.
The speech was broadcast after the royal family took their annual procession to St. Mary Magdalene Church. Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice also took part in the Christmas Day walk, but their parents Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson did not.
According to the Palace, “Each broadcast carefully reflects current issues and concerns and shares the monarch’s reflections on what Christmas means to them and their listeners. Over the years, the Christmas broadcast has served as a record of global, national and personal events that have affected the monarch and their viewers.”
