King Charles used his annual Christmas message to welcome the independence of those who cared for him and the Princess of Wales this year as both underwent cancer treatment.
The 76-year-old monarch said in a pre-recorded message released on Wednesday that he and his family are “always” impressed by those who dedicate their lives to helping others.
“From a personal point of view, I give a special, sincere thank you to 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 provide the strength, care and comfort that we provide. it was necessary,” he said in a pre-recorded speech.
The broadcast came hours after the monarch waved to large crowds of onlookers who traditionally gather to watch the royal family attend Christmas Day services at a church in Sandringham, the estate on the windswept North Sea coast which has been a family retreat for generations. .
A year marked by illness in the royal family
The King's Christmas speech will be the third since he ascended the throne after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, but the first since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February.
Millions of people in the UK and across the Commonwealth celebrate the monarch's holiday message, with many households holding Christmas lunch around him.
The King's treatment, which is believed to be ongoing, has forced him to step away from public appearances for two months. He has slowly returned to public life in recent months and was in good spirits during 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 sidelined her for much of the year.
In a voice-over for her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey which was recorded this month but aired on Tuesday night, Catherine also 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.”
Charles spoke at Fitzrovia Chapel, in central London, 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 King had asked the team to organize the broadcast to find a site away from the royal estate, and one with health links, a strong presence in the community and a place for rest and reflection for those with or without faith.
Charles walked with Queen Camilla followed by his eldest son, Prince William, Catherine and their three children. The King's daughter-in-law, who slowly returned to public activities after completing chemotherapy, kissed a cancer patient after the service.
Two of Charles' sisters, Anne, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, were also in the procession.
Notably absent from St Mary Magdalene Church was Prince Andrew. Once second in line to the British throne, the 64-year-old King's brother has become a regular source of tabloid fodder for his money woes and links to questionable characters, who ' including the late American financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Recently, a Chinese businessman was banned from the UK over concerns that he had cultivated links with Andy on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
Message to victims of 'devastating' conflict
It is a rare occasion when 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 2006.
Charles also paid his respects to the Second World War soldiers who died on the beaches of northern France as well as the few remaining veterans, many of them centenarians, who attended the 80th anniversary of D-Day landed in June.
He said it was a “great privilege” to meet “the great soldiers of that special generation who have given themselves so courageously on our behalf” but that the specter of war troubled the world this Christmas.
“During past memories, we were able to comfort ourselves with the idea that these tragic events rarely happen today,” he said.
“But on this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the terrible effects of conflict in the Middle East, in Central Europe, in Africa and elsewhere pose a daily threat to life and livelihood. live so many people.”
