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, which will be broadcast in the afternoon on Christmas Day, was recorded at Fitzrovia Chapel in London, which was part of the now-demolished Middlesex Hospital where his first wife, Diana, opened London’s first dedicated ward for those with AIDS. The building is richly decorated in a Gothic Revival style featuring more than 500 stars in a gold leaf ceiling.
“I assume that this space, being one of calm reflection, but also thinking about health, about care, about the medical profession, would make it a pretty apt choice,” said Carla Whalen, chair of the Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation’s board of trustees.
The broadcast is watched by millions of people in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth.
In keeping with the King’s desire to go into the community, he tasked the team organizing the broadcast with finding a site away from the royal estate. It’s 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 community presence and a place of solace and reflection for those with faith or none.
This 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’s been a difficult year for the royal family. A few weeks after Charles began treatment, the Princess of Wales announced her own cancer diagnosis, which sidelined her for much of the year as she underwent chemotherapy.
In a voiceover for the broadcast of her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, which was recorded this month but broadcast on Tuesday evening, Kate reflected on the love and support that 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, as well as just how much we need each other in spite of our differences.”
Meanwhile, Camilla has had a lingering chest infection in recent weeks and hasn’t been able to attend certain events, including last month’s remembrance service for fallen service personnel.
The royal family, including Prince William and Kate and their three children, will be spending Christmas Day at the Sandringham Estate in eastern England.
Charles’ brother Prince Andrew is not expected to be there, according to U.K. media, in a bid to spare the royal family from further embarrassment following the revelation that a suspected Chinese spy with business ties to the Duke of York was barred from the U.K. because of concerns he poses a threat to national security.
Pan Pylas, The Associated Press
