“From a personal point of view, I offer special heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed,” he said in the annual Christmas address. “I am deeply grateful too to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement.”
“I wish you, and all those you love, a most joyful and peaceful Christmas,” he said.
The king, who revealed earlier this year that he is battling cancer, appeared in good spirits as he greeted a large crowd of well-wishers alongside his wife, Queen Camilla. The couple was joined by Prince William and Kate.
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King Charles’ third Christmas speech since ascending the throne
This was Charles’ third Christmas speech since ascending the throne following Queen Elizabeth’s passing in September 2022. It was his first since being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February. The speech was recorded on December 11 at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London. The chapel was once part of Middlesex Hospital, where Princess Diana inaugurated London’s first AIDS ward.
Carla Whalen, chair of the Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation’s board of trustees, stated, “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.”
Shortly after Charles began treatment, Kate announced her own cancer diagnosis, which led to her absence from public engagements for much of the year. However, in a voiceover for her annual Christmas carol service broadcast from Westminster Abbey on Tuesday evening, she expressed, “The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others.”
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“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.”
