King Charles III and close members of the royal family they attended Christmas Day services on Wednesday at a church in Sandringham, the estate on the windswept North Sea coast that has been the royal family's retreat for generations. His brother Prince Andrewhowever, notably absent.
The king, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, he surprised a crowd of onlookers as he walked with his wife, Queen Camilla. They were accompanied by Prince William, Prince of Wales, and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, the king's daughter-in-law, who has slowly returned to public duties after her own. cancer diagnosis and a a course of chemotherapy.
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As a reflection of the medical treatments they received, Charles used his annual Christmas message to stress health workers.
“From a personal point of view, I sincerely thank the independent doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainty and worries of illness, and helped to be providing the strength, care and comfort that we provide. has been needed,” Charles said in his comments, broadcast to millions of viewers in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth.
“I am also extremely grateful to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement.”
This is the king's third The Christmas speech o he went up on the chair after his mother, Queen Elizabethhe died in September 2022. This is the first since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February.
Charles' speech was recorded on 11 December at London's Fitzrovia Chapel, which was part of the now-demolished Middlesex Hospital where his first wife, Diana, opened London's first specialist ward for those with AIDS. The building is richly decorated in Gothic Revival style with over 500 stars in a gold leaf ceiling.
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“I assume that this place, being a calm meditation, but also thinking about health, about care, about the medical profession, would make it a very appropriate choice,” said Carla Whalen, board chair trustees of Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation.
Charlie's treatment forced him to retire from public appearances for two months. The 76-year-old monarch has slowly returned to public life in recent months and was in good spirits on a tour of Australia with his wife, Queen Camilla, in October.
It was a difficult year for the royal family. A few weeks after Charles began treatment, the Princess of Wales announced her own cancer diagnosis, sidelining her for much of the year as she underwent chemotherapy.
Speaking for the broadcast of her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, which was recorded this month but aired on Tuesday night, Kate reflected on the love and support she has received.
“The Christmas story encourages us to consider other people's experiences and feelings,” she said. “It also exposes our own vulnerability and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, as well as just how much we need each other despite our differences.”
Prince Andrew absent at Christmas event
One familiar face was absent from the traditional scene outside St Mary Magdalene Church: Prince Andrew. The king's 64-year-old brother has slipped further into the shadows amid reports that he A Chinese businessman was banned from the UK due to concerns that 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 regular source of tabloid fodder because of his money problems and links to questionable characters, including a financier The late American and convicted pedophile. Jeffrey Epstein.
Even though Andrew had retired from public duties, he continued to appear at family events and his absence from Sandringham suggests a withdrawal from the public eye. The king has been under pressure to put more distance between Andrew and the royal family to avoid further embarrassment to the monarchy.
Although Andrews said he never discussed anything sensitive with the suspected Chinese spy and that he cut off contact with the man as soon as concerns were raised, the scandal continues to build. questions about his judgment and removing the work of the royal family, said Ed Owens. , author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?”
“The reason this is a problem for the king is just that the king is trying to rebrand the monarchy at the moment, focusing around him, but also around William, Catherine, what they are trying to do to do,” Owens said.
“It's been a very difficult year for the monarchy, mainly because of the two cancer diagnoses. younger brother, who again finds himself in the headlines.”
