“All of us go through some form of suffering at some stage in our life, be it mental or physical,” King Charles III, 76, stated during the traditional speech. Screenshot: Royal Family Channel/YouTube
Dec. 25 (UPI) — The British king gave the traditional Christmas Day speech Wednesday for his third time as monarch since taking the throne from his late mother.
“All of us go through some form of suffering at some stage in our life, be it mental or physical,” King Charles III, 76, stated during the traditional speech.
It was filmed at a former hospital chapel in central London in a break with a royal tradition. It marks the first time in more than 10 years the annual message was not recorded at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.
Video footage depicted Charles and Queen Camilla in London visiting a cancer research center as he praised healthcare workers for their work amid separate cancer diagnoses this year in the royal family for him and Catherine, the princess of Wales, and his return in April to public duty.
“The degree to which we help one another — and draw support from each other, be we people of faith or of none — is a measure of our civilization as nations,” he added in his message.
It was first televised in 1957 by Queen Elizabeth II — who at 70 years was Britain’s longest-reigning ruler — in the now decades-long staple of British life.
Charles echoed the sentiments of other foreign leaders, including the pope and the departing Catholic grand duke of Luxembourg, who took note of ongoing global conflicts in their own Christmas addresses.
“We cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict in the Middle East, in Central Europe, in Africa and elsewhere pose a daily threat to so many people’s lives and livelihoods,” the head of the Church of England said on Christmas Day.
The speech extends back more than 90 years to 1932 when Charles’ great-grandfather, King George V, delivered the first Christmas broadcast over the radio.
On Wednesday, he spoke of those who “dedicate their lives to helping others.”
“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,” the king said.
Catherine made her first public appearance in September since finishing chemotherapy, saying she was “relieved” at the time to end her months-long cancer treatments.
The king, queen and 45 members of the British royal family gathered on Christmas Day at Sandringham House, their country estate in rural Norfolk roughly 100 miles north of London after attending their traditional church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church. Notably absent was the king’s embattled younger brother, Prince Andrew.
In his record message, Charles reflected on his recent trip to Samoa in October for a gathering of Commonwealth nation leaders for his first time as head of the monarchy amid calls by some countries to be fully independent.
“Across the Commonwealth, we are held together by a willingness to listen to each other, to learn from one another, and to find just how much we have in common,” he said. “Because, through listening, we learn to respect our differences, to defeat prejudice, and to open up new possibilities.”