✕CloseThe royal family in 2023: The year’s major stories
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The King has delivered his Christmas message after joining other members of the royal family at Sandringham to celebrate Christmas Day.
The festive address – the second of Charles’s reign since the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022 – was delivered at 3pm on Monday in Buckingham Palace’s Centre Room, which opens onto the famous balcony overlooking The Mall and was decorated with a living Christmas tree that will be replanted.
The King called on people to protect each other, delivered a powerful message about the environment and praised volunteers serving communities across the country.
Earlier, Charles and Camilla were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church.
It comes after the King and Queen waved to well-wishers while attending a Christmas Eve service at the church on Sunday.
Royal Christmases traditionally feature the greeting of people outside the church, and a family lunch with turkey and all the trimmings.
Sandringham House has been the private home of four generations of British monarchs for more than 160 years, and now belongs to the King.
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Duchess of York joins Royal Christmas service at Sandringham
Sarah, Duchess of York was publicly back at the heart of the royal family after joining the King and Queen at church on Christmas Day.
The former royal, who has had a troubled relationship with the monarchy, was pictured, smiling, and glancing towards the waiting media as she walked beside her ex-husband, the disgraced Duke of York.
Royal fans were treated to the sight of the Prince and Princess of Wales walking hand in hand with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis from Sandringham house on their way to St Mary Magdalene Church.
The Duchess of York was pictured smiling as she joined the royal family on Christmas Day
(AP)
Alexander Butler25 December 2023 20:301703532670
Read The King’s Christmas Day speech in full
The King has called on people to protect each other, delivered a powerful message about the environment and praised volunteers serving communities across the country in the second Christmas broadcast of his reign.
The festive address – the second since the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022 – was delivered standing up in Buckingham Palace’s centre room, which opens onto the famous balcony overlooking The Mall.
Charles called on people to “protect each other” as he said the world is living through a time of increasingly tragic conflict.
Read The King’s Christmas Day speech in full
Charles called on people to protect each other, delivered message about environment and praised volunteers serving communities
Alexander Butler25 December 2023 19:311703529028
King Charles’s five-point plan as he urges trillions of dollars to tackle climate crisis
King Charles set out an action plan for tackling the climate crisis based on five key suggestions at Cop28, saying up to five trillion dollars will be needed each year, Jane Dalton reports.
His proposals, made in the form of questions, included bringing together different types of organisations to face the crisis, and involving private and goodwill finance, on top of public money.
Secondly, the King suggested targeting that cash carefully at projects driving sustainable changes and away from dangerous practices in all industries worldwide.
Charles’s five-point plan as he urges trillions of dollars to tackle climate crisis
King suggests using private finance and increasing green agriculture funding to forge ‘new vision for 100 years’
Alexander Butler25 December 2023 18:301703526605
Watch: King Charles urges public to protect environment in Christmas message
King Charles III urged the public to help protect the environment in his 2023 Christmas message.
His Majesty spoke from the Centre Room at Buckingham Palace, where he addressed the nation and Commonwealth countries.
Charles, a keen environmental campaigner who delivered a speech at the recent Cop28 UN Climate Change summit, said: “We care for the Earth for the sake of our children’s children.
“During my lifetime I have been so pleased to see a growing awareness of how we must protect the Earth and our natural world as the one home which we all share.”
King Charles urges public to protect environment in Christmas message
King Charles III urged the public to help protect the environment in his 2023 Christmas message. His Majesty spoke from the Centre Room at Buckingham Palace, where he addressed the nation and Commonwealth countries. Charles, a keen environmental campaigner who delivered a speech at the recent Cop28 UN Climate Change summit, said: "We care for the Earth for the sake of our children’s children. “During my lifetime I have been so pleased to see a growing awareness of how we must protect the Earth and our natural world as the one home which we all share."
Alexander Butler25 December 2023 17:501703520040
Prince and Princess of Wales release photo of children to mark Christmas Day
The Prince and Princess of Wales have released a photo on Christmas Day of their three children.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis appear without their parents in the black and white photograph.
Charlotte sits smiling between her two brothers, with her arms around each of them.
They are wearing white shirts, with Charlotte and George in trousers and Louis in shorts.
The photo was posted on social media with the caption: “Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, from our family to yours! W & C.”
Luke O'Reilly reports:
Prince and Princess of Wales release photo of children to mark Christmas Day
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis appear without their parents in the black and white photograph.
Tara Cobham25 December 2023 16:001703519140
Skies of Bethlehem ‘full of fear’, says archbishop in Christmas Day sermon
The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas Day sermon to highlight antisemitism in the UK and the suffering of children caught up in the Israel-Hamas war.
Referring to Jesus Christ’s birthplace, which is now in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Most Rev Justin Welby said “the skies of Bethlehem are full of fear rather than angels and glory”.
He compared the turbulent conditions of Jesus’s birth with the modern-day plight of children in the troubled region.
Sam Hall reports:
Skies of Bethlehem ‘full of fear’, says archbishop in Christmas Day sermon
The Archbishop of Canterbury also spoke of children in the UK having to ‘hide their Jewishness on their way to school’ in fear of antisemitism.
Tara Cobham25 December 2023 15:451703518432
Watch in full: Charles delivers 2023 King’s Speech from Buckingham Palace
King Charles III‘s delivered 2023’s King’s Speech with a Christmas message focused on paying tribute to “selfless” community volunteers and urging the public to protect the environment.
It is Charles’s second King’s Speech, and was delivered in the Centre Room in Buckingham Palace which leads on to the royal residence’s iconic balcony.
His Majesty also referenced conflicts around the world, saying that he prayed “We can… do all in our power to protect each other.”
The living tree seen in today’s broadcast will be replanted after the broadcast in a nod to the King’s environmental interests.
Holly Patrick reports:
Watch in full: Charles delivers 2023 King’s Speech from Buckingham Palace
King Charles III's delivered 2023's King's Speech with a Christmas message focused on paying tribute to "selfless" community volunteers and urging the public to protect the environment. It is Charles's second King's Speech, and was delivered in the Centre Room in Buckingham Palace which leads on to the royal residence’s iconic balcony. His Majesty also referenced conflicts around the world, saying that he prayed "We can… do all in our power to protect each other." The living tree seen in today's broadcast will be replanted after the broadcast in a nod to the King's environmental interests.
Tara Cobham25 December 2023 15:331703517450
Read The King’s Christmas Day speech in full
The King has called on people to protect each other, delivered a powerful message about the environment and praised volunteers serving communities across the country in the second Christmas broadcast of his reign.
Here is the full text of the King’s Christmas broadcast:
Read The King’s Christmas Day speech in full
Charles called on people to protect each other, delivered message about environment and praised volunteers serving communities
Tara Cobham25 December 2023 15:171703517381
King offers message of hope in speech amid ‘increasingly tragic conflict around world’
The King has called on people to “protect each other” as he said the world is living through a time of increasingly tragic conflict in his Christmas broadcast.
The festive address – the second of Charles’s reign since the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022 – was delivered standing up in Buckingham Palace’s Centre Room, which opens onto the famous balcony overlooking The Mall.
The King also praised the “selfless army” of volunteers serving communities across the country, describing them as the “essential backbone of our society”. He said the presence of community stalwarts among his coronation guests emphasised the meaning of the ceremony – “a call to us all to serve one another”.
Read more here:
Charles offers message of hope amid ‘tragic conflict around world’ in King’s Speech
Christmas broadcast delivered in Buckingham Palace is second of Charles’s reign since death of his mother the Queen
Tara Cobham25 December 2023 15:161703517230
King delivers powerful message about environment in Christmas broadcast
The King has delivered a powerful message about the environment in his annual Christmas broadcast.
Charles said: “Service also lies at the heart of the Christmas story – the birth of Jesus who came to serve the whole world, showing us by his own example how to love our neighbour as ourselves.
“Throughout the year, my family have witnessed how people of all ages are making a difference to their communities. This is all the more important at a time of real hardship for many, when we need to build on existing ways to support others less fortunate than ourselves.
“Because out of God’s providence we are blessed with much, and it is incumbent on us to use this wisely.
“However, service to others is but one way of honouring the whole of creation which, after all, is a manifestation of the divine. This is a belief shared by all religions.
“To care for this creation is a responsibility owned by people of all faiths and of none. We care for the Earth for the sake of our children’s children.
“During my lifetime I have been so pleased to see a growing awareness of how we must protect the Earth and our natural world as the one home which we all share.
“I find great inspiration now from the way so many people recognise this – as does the Christmas story, which tells us that angels brought the message of hope first to shepherds. These were people who lived simply amongst others of God’s creatures. Those close to nature were privileged that night.”
Tara Cobham25 December 2023 15:13NewerOlder✕
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