In a televised Christmas address, King Charles III addressed the United Kingdom on Sunday. He paid tribute to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, while thanking the public for their condolence messages.
In what many viewed as “political,” the King praised emergency health workers, many of whom are striking to get higher wages. He also praised people who donate to and run the food banks, which have recently become part of British life as the cost of living continues to soar.
In his speech, the King devoted a major part of his message to those struggling to make ends meet. He sympathized with the “great anxiety and hardship” people are enduring as they struggle to feed their families and keep them warm, as the video footage of parcels being handed out at food banks played.
Strikingly, neither Harry and Meghan or Prince Andrew, who made a surprise appearance at Sandringham Church, got a mention in the speech. However, William and Kate were featured in his speech, with clips of their royal visit getting attention. Charles’ brother Edward, sister Anne, and Edward’s wife, Sophie, were featured in the clips recapping the royal year.
The King gave his address at St. George’s chapel in Windsor, where his mother was laid to rest.
While reflecting on his mother’s death, King Charles, 73, said, “Christmas is indeed a poignant occasion for us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season and always remember them in each cherished tradition.”
The King went on to praise the health and social professionals, teachers, and others working in public service whose commitment and skills are geared toward making the community a better place, many of whom are on strike as they seek higher wages from the government to cope with the current ravaging inflation.
In the Sunday speech, Charles sought to identify himself as a sympathetic person to the poor while referencing the “great anxiety and hardship” faced not only by people around the globe facing conflicts, natural disasters, or famine but also by those at home trying to find ways to pay their bills and keep their families warm.
Although the King’s speech isn’t a direct criticism of the government and its policies, it was an address filled with political tones and emphasis. He mentioned those who donate to the country’s food banks to support charitable organizations that have done tremendous work even in the most difficult times.
“Our churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and gurdwaras have once more united in feeding the country, providing love and support through the year. Such is the most heartfelt, inspiring expression, and solidarity of loving our neighbors as ourselves.”
King Charles’s speech comes at a time when the country has faced one of the toughest moments, which saw interest rates and mortgage payments rise sharply as the pound crashed. The UK has witnessed a series of walkouts by public service workers over wages.
The royal family, too, has been under the public radar due to the recent docuseries released by Prince Harry and Meghan. The two blame the royal family and the British media for their decision to quit royal responsibilities in 2022.