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King Charles thanked the medics who took care of him and his daughter-in-law Kate, after both underwent cancer treatment this year, in a Christmas message that touched on global conflict and Britain’s summer unrest.
In his third Christmas telecast since becoming king, Charles gave an unusually personal tone to the royal seasonal message, a tradition that dates back to George V’s 1932 radio address.
It has been a traumatic year for the royal family after Buckingham Palace announced in February that the 76-year-old had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer which was discovered in tests following a corrective prostate enlargement procedure.
A month later, Kate, the wife of his son and heir Prince William, said she had undergone preventive chemotherapy for cancer, which ended in September. William said it had been a tough year for the family.
“We all go through some form of suffering at some stage in our lives, whether it’s mental or physical,” said Charles, who became king in 2022 after the death of Queen Elizabeth.
His words were accompanied by footage of a visit to a cancer treatment center after returning to public duties in April and one of Kate’s first engagements when she returned to work.
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“From a personal point of view, I offer my heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who have supported me and the rest of my family this year through the uncertainties and anxieties of the disease and helped provide us with the strength, care and comfort we needed,” said Charles.
“I am also deeply grateful to all those who have sent us their kind words of condolence and encouragement,” he said in the pre-recorded show, which was filmed in the former London hospital’s opulent chapel.
Last week, a palace source said the king’s treatment was progressing well and would continue next year.
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 his close business associate was banned from Britain on government suspicions he was a Chinese agent, was a notable absence from the royal gathering.
DIVERSITY OF POWER
The king spoke of nationwide unrest, which erupted after the July killings of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event in northern England, which mostly targeted mosques and immigrants.
“Diversity of culture, ethnicity and religion gives 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, repair not just buildings, but relationships,” he said. he said.
Charles also mentioned the ongoing wars.
“On this Christmas, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflicts in the Middle East, Central Europe, Africa and elsewhere pose a daily threat to the lives and livelihoods of many people,” he said.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Barbara Lewis)
