Britain’s King Charles III delivered a message of empathy and unity, and paid tribute to the past, in his first Christmas speech as monarch – picking up a tradition associated with defining moments in the reign of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
As Britain grapples with a rising cost of living and widespread strikes by nurses and other public sector workers, Carlos’s words focused on those who work “to shine a light on the world around them.”
The traditional Christmas message, followed by millions of people in Britain and the Commonwealth countries, has been a fixture on Christmas Day for nearly a century and offers insight into the royal family’s views on the state of the world. For Carlos, it marks the end of a tumultuous year, in which her mother celebrated her platinum wedding anniversary and died at 96, and in which he ascended the throne.
“Christmas is an especially moving time for all of us who have lost loved ones,” Carlos said. “We miss them at every family moment of the season and remember them in every cherished tradition.”
Everything about the five-minute pre-recorded speech makes sense, and royal watchers closely follow what the monarch says – or fails to say.
The setting for Charles of England’s first Christmas message was St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where his mother was buried just a few months ago alongside his father, Prince Philip.
In the seven decades that Queen Elizabeth II delivered the broadcasts, they often took on a religious tone.
Charles wholeheartedly accepted the responsibilities conferred on him by his religious titles – the monarch is head of the Church of England – and took part in a Christmas Day church service in Sandringham on Sunday. But there are signs that Carlos intends to bring a slightly different view of religion and spirituality to the role. In the message from him, he said: “Although Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration, the power of light that overcomes darkness is celebrated beyond the borders of faith and belief.”
Prince William of Wales, Kate, Princess of Wales, and Princes George, Charlotte, and Louis
The first royal Christmas message was broadcast on the radio in 1932 by King George V. Elizabeth brought the tradition to television, delivering one every year of her reign, except in 1969, when she reportedly decided the public was fed up with the royalty after the BBC aired a two-hour documentary that she found indulgent and intrusive.
Christmas broadcasts have long served as a sort of yearly roundup of royal family events, including births, heirs, anniversaries, jubilees and deaths. Carlos’s 2022 message – with his tribute to his mother – was in keeping with tradition.
But while Charles mentioned Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales’s public engagements, he made no reference to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The renegade couple – who stepped down as “senior serving royals” in 2020 and relocated to California – had caused a public stir in recent weeks with a Netflix documentary series that claimed palace operatives were feeding negative stories to the media about Meghan. Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace said they would not comment, and King Charles’ Christmas message on Sunday suggested they have no intention of changing course.
In her Christmas message last year, the Queen brushed aside the controversies that had hit the family at the time, including allegations that Prince Andrew committed sexual abuse, which he denies.
Known for their brevity, Christmas messages also tend to tackle big societal issues, ranging from the Great Depression, to the rise of Nazism, to the threat of nuclear annihilation in the 1950s, to the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is one of the few public speeches that British monarchs typically write without government advice.
In his speech on Sunday, Carlos made reference to the conflicts, famines and natural disasters that have ravaged this year, but did not directly refer to climate action, a key issue that occupied him before he ascended the throne. As a sovereign, more is expected of him than before to refrain from sharing his personal views.
But the backdrop of Windsor Castle offered a message -to be deciphered- of sustainability and Carlos’ love for nature, gardening, plants and the circle of life.
In a note to journalists, the palace reported that the Christmas tree was “decorated with decorations made from sustainable materials, including paper and glass, as well as natural products such as pine cones.”
“English Foliage: Holly, Ward Ivy and Red Skimmia” were used in the flower arrangements, and the tree was recycled for viewing by Christmas visitors to Windsor.
(c) 2022, The Washington Post – Rick Noack and William Booth
King Carlos III honored his mother in his first Christmas message