King Charles thanked the doctors who cared for him and his daughter-in-law Kate after they both underwent cancer treatment this year, in a Christmas message that touched on global conflicts and the summer riots in Britain.
In his third Christmas TV broadcast since becoming king, Charles adopted an unusually personal tone for the seasonal royal message, a tradition that dates back to a radio address by George V in 1932.
The year has been traumatic for the royals after Buckingham Palace said in February that the 76-year-old king had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer detected in tests following a corrective procedure for an enlarged prostate.
A month later, Kate, wife of his son and heir Prince William, said she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy for cancer that ended in September. William said the year was brutal for the family.
“We all experience some form of suffering at some point in our lives, whether mental or physical,” said Charles, who became king in 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth.
His words were accompanied by footage of a visit he made to a cancer treatment center upon returning to public duties in April and of one of Kate’s first engagements when she returned to work.
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“From a personal point of view, I am truly grateful to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainty and anxieties of illness, and helped provide the strength, care and comfort we needed.” , said Charles.
“I am deeply grateful also to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement,” he said in the pre-recorded broadcast which was filmed in an ornate chapel of a former London hospital.
Last week, a palace source said the king’s treatment was progressing well and would continue into next year.
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Earlier on Wednesday, Charles was joined by his family, including Kate, William and their children, for a traditional church service at his Sandringham estate in eastern England.
Charles’ brother Prince Andrew, who was embroiled in another scandal this month when a close business associate was banned from Britain over government suspicions that he was a Chinese agent, was a notable absence from the royal gathering.
King Charles: diversity is a strength
The king spoke about the nationwide riots, which erupted after the July murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event in northern England, and have mainly targeted mosques and immigrants.
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“Diversity of culture, ethnicity and faith provides strength, not weakness,” he said.
“I felt a deep sense of pride here in the UK when, in response to the anger and lawlessness in several cities this summer, communities came together not to repeat these behaviors but to repair, to repair not just buildings but relationships,” he said.
Charles also made reference to the ongoing wars.
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“On this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict in the Middle East, Central Europe, Africa and elsewhere pose a daily threat to the lives and livelihoods of so many,” he said. he.
