King Charles is remembering his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, this Christmas.
During his first Christmas message in a pre-recoded video from St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the Queen was laid to rest alongside her husband Prince Philip, the new monarch paid tribute to the Queen calling this time a “particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones.” Adding, “We feel their absence that every familiar turn of the season and remember them in each cherished tradition.”
He began his speech with, “I am standing here in this exquisite Chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle, so close to where my beloved mother, the late Queen, is laid to rest with my dear father.”
The 74-year-old King also shared his gratitude to the people who have sent their well wishes in the wake of her death in September.
“I am reminded of the deeply touching letters, cards and messages which so many of you have sent my wife and myself and I cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown our whole family,” he said.King Charles’ Christmas message is the first time it hasn’t been delivered by the Queen since her first address in 1957. During her final Christmas speech last year, she spoke about “passing the baton” to the next generation. Unlike the Queen who typically sat at her desk to deliver the annual video, Charles stood by a Christmas tree wearing a dark blue suit.
He also said that he shares with his late mother, “a belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch, with goodness and compassion, the lives of others and to shine a light in the world around them.”
The King also expressed sympathy for those struggling this holiday season as food and energy prices in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic have caused a financial strain for many families.
On Sunday, Prince William and Kate Middleton made their Christmas debut as Prince and Princess of Wales for the traditional walk to church in Sandringham. Their three children, Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, joined along with other members of the royal family as they headed to the holiday service at Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Norfolk.
This was Prince Louis’ first time joining the royal family for the Christmas tradition, Prince George and Princess Charlotte made their debut in 2019.
This year marked the first time in two years that the royal family has returned to having a royal Christmas outing following the Covid-19 pandemic. The families celebrated separately in 2020 and 2021.
The family looked festive in their attire with Kate wearing a dark green long coat and matching hat accented with a feather, while Princess Charlotte wore a burgundy coat paired with a matching bow in her hair. The boys in the family all wore coordinating navy blue with Prince William and Prince George wearing matching suits and Prince Louis wearing his coat over shorts and knee socks.
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