King Charles, in his annual Christmas message, praised the selflessness of those who cared for him and the Princess of Wales this year as they underwent cancer treatment.
The 76-year-old monarch said in a pre-recorded message released Wednesday that he and his family are “constantly” impressed by those who dedicate their lives to helping others.
“From a personal point of view, I would like to express my special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year supported me and other members of my family in the face of uncertainty and fear related to the disease and helped provide us with the strength, care and comfort we needed,” he said in a previously recorded video. speech.
The broadcast came hours after the monarch waved to a large crowd of spectators who traditionally gather to see the royal family attend Christmas services at Sandringham Church, a property on the windswept North Sea coast that has served as a family retreat for generations . .
A year marked by illness in the royal family
The king's Christmas speech is his third since he ascended the throne following 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 across the UK and across the Commonwealth, with many households planning this moment for Christmas dinner.
The king's treatment, which is likely ongoing, forced him to refrain from public appearances for two months. He has slowly returned to public life in recent months and was in good spirits during an October tour of Australia and the South Pacific.
A few weeks after Charles began treatment, the Princess of Wales announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer, which sidelined her for most of the year.
In the voiceover for her annual carol service at Westminster Abbey, recorded earlier this month but broadcast on Tuesday evening, Catherine also reflected on the love and support she received.
“The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others,” she said. “It also reflects our own vulnerabilities and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, and 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 dedicated AIDS unit.
The King tasked the broadcast team with finding a location away from the royal estate and providing health connections, a strong community presence, and a place of comfort and reflection for believers and non-believers alike.
Charles walked with Queen Camilla and was followed by his eldest son, Prince William, Catherine and their three children. The king's daughter-in-law, who slowly returned to public duties after completing chemotherapy, hugged a cancer patient after the service.
Two of Charles' siblings, Anne, Princess Royal and Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, also took part in the procession.
In the church of St. Prince Andrew was notably absent from Mary Magdalene. The king's 64-year-old brother, once second in line to the British throne, has become a constant source of tabloid fodder due to his financial troubles and ties to questionable figures, including the late American financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
A Chinese businessman was recently banned from entering the UK due to concerns that he was dealing with Andrew on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
A message for those in a “devastating” conflict
It's a rare occasion for the monarch's Christmas message not to be recorded at a royal residence, especially Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. The last time his late mother recorded a message outside the royal estate was in 2006.
Charles also paid tribute to the World War II soldiers who died on the beaches of northern France, as well as the few remaining veterans, including many centenarians, who attended the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy in June.
He said it was a “tremendous privilege” to meet “the extraordinary veterans of this unique generation who made such brave sacrifices on behalf of all of us,” but this Christmas the specter of war haunted the world.
“During previous commemorations, we could console ourselves with the thought that such tragic events rarely occur in modern times,” he said.
“But this Christmas we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflicts in the Middle East, Central Europe, Africa and elsewhere pose a daily threat to the lives and livelihoods of so many people.”