LONDON — LONDON (AP) – King Charles III is expected to use his annual Christmas message to highlight health workers at the end of a year in which both he and the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer.
His King’s Speech, broadcast on the afternoon of Christmas Day, was recorded at London’s Fitzrovia Chapel, which was part of the now-demolished Middlesex Hospital, where his first wife, Diana, opened London’s first dedicated AIDS ward. The building is richly decorated in a Gothic Revival style with more than 500 stars in a gold leaf ceiling.
“I think that this space, which is a space of quiet reflection but also thinking about health, about care, about the medical profession, would make it quite an appropriate choice,” said Carla Whalen, chair of the Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation board of directors .
The broadcast is seen by millions of people in the UK and across the Commonwealth.
In keeping with the king’s desire to enter society, he tasked the team organizing the broadcast with finding a location away from the royal estate. It is a rare occasion when the monarch’s Christmas message is not recorded from one of the royal residences, notably Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. The last time his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, recorded her message outside the royal estate was in 2006.
The criteria were clear: the building had to have health connections, a strong presence in the local community, and a place of solace and reflection for those of faith or none.
It is the king’s third Christmas speech since he ascended the throne after the queen died in September 2022. It is the first since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February.
His treatment forced him to step away 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 has been 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 most of the year as she underwent chemotherapy.
In a voiceover for the broadcast of her annual 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 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.”
Meanwhile, Camilla has had a lingering chest infection in recent weeks and has been unable to attend certain events, including last month’s memorial service for fallen service personnel.
The royal family, including Prince William and Kate and their three children, will spend Christmas Day at the Sandringham Estate in eastern England.
Charles’ brother Prince Andrew is not expected to be there, according to British media, in a bid to spare the royal family further embarrassment following the revelation that a suspected Chinese spy with business links to the Duke of York was banned from Britain because of concerns that he poses a threat to national security.
