KING’S SPEECH
Buckingham Palace releases first glimpse of King Charles’ Christmas Day message
THE King recorded his first Christmas message just a few yards from his beloved mother’s final resting place.
In a break with tradition, His Majesty, 74, was filmed delivering the address in The Quire of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, standing to do so.
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Millions watched the Queen’s committal service at the same spot before her coffin was buried in the adjoining George VI Memorial Chapel.
The contents of King Charles’s ten-minute delivery will remain a closely guarded secret until it is aired at 3pm on Christmas Day.
The Platinum Jubilee, the Queen’s funeral, the war in Ukraine and Harry and Meghan were expected to feature.
Sources, however, did disclose that it will be “different” — with insiders predicting a “surprise” for the watching nation.
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One added: “It will, of course, pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.”
Charles recorded the message on December 13, in between the broadcasts of the first and final episodes of Harry and Meghan’s shock Netflix docuseries.
The one photo released by Buckingham Palace ahead of the speech hinted at the King’s long-standing green credentials.
A Christmas tree decorated with ornaments made from sustainable materials appears in the blurred background behind him in the Quire.
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The King’s speech, the first event to be filmed in St George’s Chapel since September’s funeral, was captured by a BBC team.
They replaced an ITV crew in a surprise last-minute change.
The footage of the King is expected to be interspersed with images from the Jubilee in June and the Queen’s final journey.
At the Jubilee party, Charles hailed the “outpouring of warmth and affection” for his mother.
And in his first speech as King 24 hours after her death was announced, he said: “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
A year ago, the Queen recorded her final Christmas message from Windsor Castle.
In words which resonate a year on, she said she was aware of the “passing of the baton” from her to family members.
The Queen, whose first televised broadcast was in 1957, recorded her 69 Christmas addresses to the nation and Commonwealth in royal palaces, usually seated behind a desk.
In recent years, she chose to do so due to worsening mobility.
The King, meanwhile, will host a family gathering at Sandringham on Sunday.
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They will watch the speech after lunch.
On Friday it emerged that cash sent to the Royal Family in condolence cards after the Queen’s death has been donated to the Fuel Bank Foundation for people who cannot afford to heat their homes.
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