The King’s traditional Christmas message will be delivered from the formal chapel of a hospital, in a nod to the monarch’s cancer hell this year.
Millions will tune in on December 25 to hear the message, delivered from the Fitzrovia Chapel in central London – once part of the Middlesex Hospital. The message is the first in more than ten years since the Christmas message was not recorded in a royal home.
The King, who has been fighting cancer this year, is said to have wanted a location to a link with healthcare. The annual address to the nation was filmed almost two weeks ago at the Fitzrovia Chapel, a former hospital chapel in Pearson Square, central London, The Telegraph reported.
The King will deliver his Christmas message from a former hospital chapel (
Image:
PA)
He wanted to give the annual broadcast a fresher, more modern feel, demonstrating his long-held desire to “reach out into communities rather than bringing them into him”, a royal source said. After a year beset by health woes, both for himself and other members of the royal family, as well as major flashpoints across Britain involving widespread riots, the King is expected to reflect on the key themes of healthcare and the power of community.
The monarch will be expected to discuss the power of togetherness and unity, as well as having various religious references. A palace source said the speech would also “reflect on international, national and personal challenges and how they can be overcome by communities supporting one another”.
The King decided on the location for his third annual speech, which will provoke much interest given its medical history, to give the broadcast a fresh and modern feel, it is understood. Charles was “absolutely enchanted” by its size, its “astonishing beauty” and rich history, it was reported.
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The King’s grandfather, George VI, laid the foundation stone when the hospital was rebuilt in 1928. The chapel, which features a golden mosaic ceiling over the nave, was built at the heart of the former Middlesex Hospital, offering a space for both staff and patients to reflect and find solace.
It has been an extraordinary 12 months for the King and his family, facing many unprecedented challenges both as individuals and a collective. Charles and the Princess of Wales were hospitalised on the day in January this year, the King for an enlarged prostate and Kate for an abdominal surgery, while they were both diagnosed with cancer within days of each other weeks later.
Princess Anne was also hospitalised after being knocked out by a horse, while the Queen has also been recovering from pneumonia in recent weeks. As palace aides continue to insist the monarch’s treatment is “moving in the right direction”, Charles is expected to deliver a message of hope through adversity, as he continues his treatment into next year while looking forward to returning to a full schedule of engagements at home and abroad.
A new picture of the King taking part in the recording earlier this month will be released later today. The King and Queen are both at Sandringham where they are preparing to welcome 47 guests, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, for the festive period.
The King’s speech will be televised at 3pm on Christmas Day across television and radio.
