The annual Christmas speech delivered by King Charles this year saw the monarch offer his heartfelt thanks to the doctors and nurses who helped him with his cancer diagnosis and treatment. Speaking from the Fitzrovia Chapel in London, the King praised the efforts of medical professionals and volunteers who have selflessly put their own lives at risk to care for others. The chapel was chosen as it was the former chapel of the Middlesex Hospital and reflected the theme of paying respect to those in the health services.
In addition to thanking health professionals and volunteers, King Charles also focused on building community cohesion. He praised those who had sought to build bridges between communities after the summer riots that swept across several towns following a knife attack in Southport, saying that he felt a “deep sense of pride” in the way that communities had come together to repair relationships.
The King’s message was one of strength in diversity, where he praised efforts to “respect our differences, to defeat prejudice”. He highlighted that diversity of culture, ethnicity, and faith provides strength, not weakness. These sentiments echo his mother’s Christmas message given in 2004, during which the late Queen Elizabeth addressed community tensions and stated that diversity is indeed a strength and not a threat.
While there were words of sympathy from King Charles for those in wars around the world, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, the broadcast also commended the remarkable veterans of the D-Day landings during their 80th-anniversary commemorations earlier this year.
As is customary, the Christmas broadcast included pictures of working royals, and no sightings of either Prince Harry or Prince Andrew were shown. The King spent Christmas Day with his family in Sandringham in Norfolk, attending a church service in the morning. A crowd gathered to watch the King attend the service with his family, including Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Despite ongoing cancer treatment that is set to continue into 2025, King Charles plans to have a busy schedule of visits and overseas trips in 2022, providing a positive sign of progress
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