LONDON –
King Charles III used his annual Christmas message on Wednesday to praise the selflessness of those who have cared for him and the Princess of Wales this year, after they were both diagnosed with cancer.
The 76-year-old monarch said he and his family are “continually” impressed by those who dedicate their lives to helping others.
“From a personal point of view, I offer a special and sincere thank you to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of the illness and have helped provide us with the strength, care and comfort we need. we have needed,” he said in a prerecorded speech.
The broadcast came several hours after the monarch greeted a large crowd of spectators who traditionally gather to watch the royal family attend Christmas Day services at a church in Sandringham, the coastal estate hit by the North Sea wind that has served as a family retreat for generations. .
The king walked with Queen Camilla as his eldest son Prince William, Kate and their three children followed him. The king’s daughter-in-law, who has slowly returned to public duties after completing chemotherapy, hugged a cancer patient after the service.
Also in the procession were two of Charles’ siblings, Anne, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh.
Notably absent from the church of St. Mary Magdalene was Prince Andrew. The king’s brother, 64, has retreated further into the shadows amid news that a Chinese businessman had been banned from the UK over concerns he had cultivated links with Andrew on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
Andrew, once second in line to the British throne, has become a constant source of tabloid fodder due to his financial problems and links to questionable figures, including the late American financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Even after stepping away from his public duties, Andrew has continued to appear at family events and his absence from Sandringham suggests a further retreat from the public spotlight. The king has been under pressure to distance Andrew from the royal family to avoid further embarrassment for the monarchy.
While Andrew said he never discussed anything sensitive with the alleged Chinese spy and had ceased contact with the man as soon as concerns arose, the scandal raises further questions about his judgment and distracts from the royal family’s work. said Ed Owens, author. from “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?”
“The reason this is a problem for the king is simply that the king is trying to rename the monarchy right now, focusing his attention on him, but also on William, Catherine, what they are trying to do “Owens said.
“It has been a very difficult year for the monarchy, especially due to the two cancer diagnoses. And all the positive headlines that the king has been trying to generate lately, unfortunately, are overshadowed by the behavior, the reckless behavior, of his younger brother, who is once again making headlines.”
The king’s Christmas speech is his third since he ascended the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, but his first since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February.
The monarch’s Christmas message is watched by millions of people in the UK and across the Commonwealth, and many households schedule Christmas lunch around it.
The treatment received by the king, which is believed to be ongoing, forced him to stay away from public appearances for two months. He has slowly returned to public life in recent months and was in good spirits on a tour of Australia and the South Pacific in October.
A few weeks after Charles began treatment, the Princess of Wales announced her own cancer diagnosis, which kept her sidelined for much of the year.
In a voiceover for her annual carol service at Westminster Abbey, which was recorded this month but broadcast on Tuesday night, Kate also reflected on the love and support she received.
“The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others,” he said. “It also reflects our own vulnerabilities and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, as well as how much we need each other despite our differences.”
Charles spoke at the Fitzrovia Chapel in central London, which was part of the now demolished Middlesex Hospital, where his first wife, Diana, opened London’s first ward dedicated to people with AIDS.
The king had tasked the team organizing the broadcast to find a site away from the royal estate, and one with health connections, a strong community presence and a place of solace and reflection for those with and without faith.
It is a rare occasion that the monarch’s Christmas message is not recorded at a royal residence, particularly Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. The last time his late mother recorded her message outside the royal estate was in 2006.
Charles also paid his respects to the World War II troops who perished on the beaches of northern France, as well as the few remaining veterans, many of them centenarians, who attended the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy in June.
He said it was a “huge privilege” to meet “the extraordinary veterans of that very special generation who gave themselves so bravely on behalf of us all”, but that the specter of war haunted the world this Christmas.
“During previous commemorations we were able to console ourselves with the idea that these tragic events rarely occur in the modern era,” he said. “But on this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflicts in the Middle East, Central Europe, Africa and elsewhere represent a daily threat to the lives and livelihoods of so many people.” .
On the home front, the king expressed his “deep sense of pride” in communities coming together after riots broke out in many towns and cities in the summer following a stabbing at a dance class that left three girls dead and several injured. .
Brian Melley contributed to this report.
