King Charles III remembered his “beloved mother” Queen Elizabeth II in his first Christmas speech. The holidays are a poignant time for the bereaved, he said in the televised speech on Sunday. “We sense their absence at every familiar season and remember them at every cherished tradition.” He shares with Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September of this year, “the belief in the extraordinary ability of every human being to touch the lives of others with kindness and compassion”. That is “the essence of our community and the foundation of our society,” emphasized the 74-year-old.
In his first Christmas speech as British King, Charles III. I also expressed my condolences to all families in need. The monarch said there was a “time of great anxiety and need”. This applies to everyone worldwide who is exposed to conflict, famine or natural disasters, as well as those “who find ways to pay their bills and feed their families and keep them warm”. Millions of people in the UK are struggling with increased food prices and energy costs.
Thank you for “selfless work”
Charles thanked the military, health and social workers, teachers and all government workers for their “selfless service.” They would readily respond to the needs of others with much humanity. In these sectors in particular, there is currently dissatisfaction with low wage increases, and there are always strikes. The king’s words were accompanied by pictures of food boards, among other things. “I would like to give a special tribute to all the wonderfully kind people who so generously donate food or donations or the most precious commodity of all, their time, to support those most in need,” said the king.
The idea for the now traditional speech goes back to John Reith, the founding director of the BBC. He approached King George V in 1922, who initially rejected the idea because he equated radio with light entertainment and therefore did not see it as a suitable medium. Ten years later he showed himself open to such an address, which was first broadcast in 1932 on Christmas Day. Charles’ mother Queen Elizabeth II had given a Christmas speech every year. Her first was in 1952 when she was discussing her coronation the following year. In 1957 the speech was televised for the first time. The Queen’s speech was then broadcast live, and since 1960 it has been recorded a few days in advance, also so that it could be transmitted to the various Commonwealth countries in good time. Charles’ speech was recorded at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on December 13th. The Queen is buried under the church in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Christmas Carols at Westminster Abbey
His daughter-in-law Kate had previously dedicated a Christmas carol to the Queen at London’s Westminster Abbey, which she had organized and which was televised on Christmas Eve. She paid tribute to the Queen’s “incredible legacy” that “has deeply inspired many of us”. Kate and William’s children Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 7, sang along loudly. Charles and his queen consort Camilla were among the 1,800 guests at the event. Heir apparent William read an excerpt from the Queen’s 2012 Christmas message.
The British media emphasized above all the demonstrative joint appearance of the royals. In doing so, they would have set a sign of unity against the allegations made by William’s younger brother Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan in the Netflix series “Harry and Meghan”. Finally, on Christmas Day, the royals appeared with King Charles III. at the top for the first time since the pandemic for the traditional service near their Sandringham residence. Prince Louis (4), the youngest son of heir to the throne Prince William and Princess Kate, wore shorts when the temperatures were quite mild. Numerous onlookers waited hours to catch a glimpse of the royals.
On Christmas Day, the royals returned to their traditional service near their Sandringham residence for the first time since the pandemic.
(Photo: Stephen Pond/Getty Images)