King Charles failed to mention Prince Harry or Prince Andrew in his Christmas message.
Most senior members of the royal family featured in his annual speech – but the Duke of York and the Duke of Sussex were missing.It comes as relations between the Duke, King Charles III, and Prince William have been increasingly strained since the fallout from bombshells in his book Spare and his Netflix documentary.
The King’s Christmas Broadcast was filmed in the Centre Room at Buckingham Palace, with the iconic palace balcony in the background.
It has been five years since a monarch’s Christmas message was filmed at Buckingham Palace.
In the speech, Charles alluded to the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza – quoting Jesus as he called for “peace on Earth”.
The King said: “At a time of increasingly tragic conflict around the world, I pray that we can also do all in our power to protect each other.
“The words of Jesus seem more than ever relevant: ‘do to others as you would have them do to you.’
“Such values are universal, drawing together our Abrahamic family of religions, and other belief systems, across the Commonwealth and wider world.
“They remind us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of our neighbours, and to seek their good as we would our own.”
Charles also praised the “selfless army” of volunteers helping others “at a time of real hardship” in the speech.
He said: “Over this past year my heart has been warmed by countless examples of the imaginative ways in which people are caring for one another.
“Going the extra mile to help those around them simply because they know it is the right thing to do – at work and at home; within and across communities.
“My wife and I were delighted when hundreds of representatives of that selfless army of people – volunteers who serve their communities in so many ways and with such distinction – were able to join us in Westminster Abbey for the Coronation earlier this year.
“They are an essential backbone of our society. Their presence meant so much to us both and emphasised the meaning of Coronation itself.
“Above all, a call to us all to serve one another; to love and care for all.Charles also spoke about the environment and his Christian faith in the speech, which was broadcast at 3pm on the big day.
He gave the address in front of a living Christmas tree, a royal first.
n a nod to the environmentalist monarch, it was decorated with sustainable products such as dried oranges, hand-turned wood, brown glass and pine cones. It will be replanted after the broadcast from Buckingham Palace’s Centre Room, which overlooks the Victoria Memorial.
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