King Charles III and close members of the royal family attended Christmas Day services Wednesday at a church on Sandringham, the estate on the windswept North Sea coast that has served as a retreat for the royals for generations. His brother Prince Andrew, however, was notably absent.
The king, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, waved to a large crowd of onlookers as he walked alongside his wife, Queen Camilla. They were joined by Prince William, Prince of Wales, and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, the king’s daughter-in-law, who has been slowly returned to public duties after her own cancer diagnosis and a course of chemotherapy.
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In a reflection of the medical treatments they have received, Charles used his annual Christmas message to highlight health workers.
“From a personal point of view, I offer special heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed,” Charles said in his remarks, broadcast to millions of viewers in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth.
“I am deeply grateful too to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement.”
This is the king’s third Christmas speech since he ascended the throne after his mother, Queen Elizabeth, died in September 2022. It is the first since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February.
Charles’ speech was recorded on Dec. 11 at Fitzrovia Chapel in London, which was part of the now-demolished Middlesex Hospital where his first wife, Diana, opened London’s first dedicated ward for those with AIDS. The building is richly decorated in a Gothic Revival style featuring more than 500 stars in a gold leaf ceiling.
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“I assume that this space, being one of calm reflection, but also thinking about health, about care, about the medical profession, would make it a pretty apt choice,” said Carla Whalen, chair of the Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation’s board of trustees.
Charles’ treatment forced him to step away from public appearances for two months. The 76-year-old monarch has slowly returned to public life in recent months and was in good spirits on a tour of Australia with his wife, Queen Camilla, in October.
It’s been a difficult year for the royal family. A few weeks after Charles began treatment, the Princess of Wales announced her own cancer diagnosis, which sidelined her for much of the year as she underwent chemotherapy.
In a voiceover for the broadcast of her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, which was recorded this month but broadcast on Tuesday evening, Kate reflected on the love and support that she has received.
“The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others,” she said. “It also reflects our own vulnerabilities and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, as well as just how much we need each other in spite of our differences.”
Prince Andrew absent at Christmas event
One familiar face was absent from the traditional scene outside St. Mary Magdalene Church: Prince Andrew. The king’s 64-year-old brother has retreated further into the shadows amid news that a Chinese businessman had been barred from the U.K. because of concerns he cultivated links with Andrew on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
Andrew, once second in line to the British throne, has become a constant source of tabloid fodder because of his money woes and links to questionable characters, including the late American financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Even though Andrew had stepped back from public duties, he has continued to appear at family events and his absence from Sandringham suggests a further retreat from the public eye. The king has been under pressure to put more distance between Andrew and the royal family to avoid further embarrassment to the monarchy.
While Andrew has said he never discussed anything sensitive with the suspected Chinese spy and that he ceased contact with the man as soon as concerns were raised, the scandal raises further questions about his judgment and distracts from the work of the royal family, said Ed Owens, author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?”
“The reason why this is a problem for the king is simply that the king is trying to rebrand the monarchy at the moment, centering its focus around him, but also around William, Catherine, what they are trying to do,” Owens said.
“It’s been a very difficult year for the monarchy, not least because of the two cancer diagnoses. And all the positive headlines that the king has been trying to generate of late, unfortunately, are overshadowed by the behavior, the reckless behavior, of his younger brother, who once again finds himself in the headlines.”