The King has broken tradition by recording this year’s Christmas Day message at a church rather than on a royal estate.
King Charles has chosen to film the annual address to the nation at a former hospital chapel following his ongoing battle with cancer.
The Monarch will appear on TV screens on Wednesday to deliver his speech from the Fitzrovia Chapel in London, which once served as a chapel for Middlesex Hospital.
It marks the first time in 14 years that the King’s speech has not been filmed on a royal estate.
The chapel is understood to reflect the key themes of healthcare and community that the King is expected to talk about during the speech, according to The Telegraph.
The newspaper added that his message will focus on the ‘incredible work’ of the healthcare profession in a year where he and his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, were both diagnosed with cancer.
He will also highlight the value of community, praising the population for coming together in the wake of this summer’s far-right riots.
Charles has been undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of the disease in February. It was revealed last week that the 76-year-old is ‘moving in a positive direction’ and will continue his treatment into 2025.
It was reportedly the monarch’s own idea to film the broadcast outside of the royal residences, with his previous speeches taking place in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and Buckingham Palace.
The late Queen filmed her 2010 Christmas speech at Hampton Court Palace, marking the last time a monarch broke this tradition.
A royal source told The Telegraph The King wanted to use his speech to ‘reach out into communities rather than bringing them into him’.
‘Even though this is a Christmas address, His Majesty likes to reach out to those of all faiths and none,’ they added.
Charles had reportedly never seen the church before and was ‘absolutely enchanted’ by its size, ‘astonishing beauty’ and rich history during his first visit.
The chapel, located at Pearson Square in central London, features Byzantine-inspired architecture and a golden mosaic ceiling.
It is used as a community space and, while it is not regularly used for services, it often hosts several events such as weddings, exhibitions and book launches.
The chapel is currently closed to the public but is set to reopen on January 8 for a special exhibition.
It was revealed last week that His Majesty intends to return to a full programme of public duties next year. This will include ‘exciting’ UK and international visits in the first half of 2025, a royal insider said.
‘His treatment has been moving in a positive direction, as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into the new year’, the Palace source said.
Charles hosted members of the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace for a pre-Christmas lunch yesterday. Today the King and Queen will hold their last public event of the year as they attend a reception at Waltham Forest Town Hall in East London.
Royal aides said this would ‘celebrate the strong sense of community cohesion in the borough, highlighted by peaceful counter-protests in August 2024 following disorder in other parts of the UK’.
Charles has increased his engagements recently, including a visit to Apple’s London HQ and a meeting with CEO Tim Cook.
‘You could almost forget at the start of the year this was a man that faced the shock of being diagnosed with cancer’, a source said to Sky News.
Charles has been carrying on with his duties despite facing a personally challenging year in which both he and the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer.
News of Charles’ cancer, undisclosed in its form, came in February, after it was discovered while he was treated in hospital for an enlarged prostate in January.
He cancelled all face-to-face public duties but returned in April and has since travelled to France for D-Day commemorations, hosted incoming state visits for the Emperor of Japan and the Emir of Qatar, and undertaken a hectic tour to and Samoa with the Queen, despite still undergoing outpatient cancer treatment.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow.