In his first televised Christmas address, King Charles III spoke to the United Kingdom on Sunday. The highlight of the speech was the tribute he paid to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and he thanked the public for their condolence messages and well wishes.
In contrast to the Queen’s addresses, which were typically unpolitical, many viewers found Charles’ words more courageous than royal speeches in the recent past. The King praised emergency health workers, while many of them are striking for higher wages. He praised people who support and run the food banks, and acknowledged that people have been challenged financially while the cost of living keeps going up.
In his speech, the King devoted a major part of his message to people struggling to make ends meet during difficult times. He sympathized with the “great anxiety and hardship” people are enduring as they fight inflation and try to keep warm in winter. Meanwhile, a video showed parcels being handed out at food banks, while the King spoke.
King Charles was very selective about who he praised and who he left out of his speech. Strikingly, neither Harry and Meghan nor Prince Andrew, who made a surprise appearance at Sandringham Church, were mentioned in the speech. However, William and Kate were the stars of the show and were featured in the speech, with clips of their royal visit being shown. Charles’ brother Edward, sister Anne, and Edward’s wife, Sophie, were also featured in the clips showing a recap of the royal year.
The speech was given at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, where his mother was buried.
While reflecting on his mother’s death, King Charles, 73, said, “Christmas is indeed a poignant occasion for us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season and always remember them in each cherished tradition.”
The King continued to praise the health and social workers, teachers, and others who work in public service, and whose commitment and skills make the community a better place. Many of these groups that Charles praised and showed his support for are on strike as they seek higher wages from the government to cope with the current ravaging inflation.
In his address, Charles showed himself as sympathetic to the poor while referencing the “great anxiety and hardship” faced not only by people around the globe facing conflicts, natural disasters, or famine but also by those at home trying to find ways to pay their bills and keep their families warm.
Although the King’s speech didn’t directly criticize the British government or its policies, it was filled with political issues. He encouraged people to donate to the country’s food banks and to support charitable organizations that have helped so much in the most difficult times.
“Our churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and gurdwaras have once more united in feeding the country, providing love and support through the year. Such is the most heartfelt, inspiring expression, and solidarity of loving our neighbors as ourselves.”
King Charles’s speech comes at a time when the UK is facing hard times financially, with interest rates and mortgage payments rising sharply as the pound is crashing.
The royal family, too, has been under the public radar due to the recent Netflix docuseries released by Prince Harry and Meghan. The couple blames the royal family and the British media for their decision to quit their royal tasks and move to the US.
