King Charles breaks tradition with first Christmas speech as monarch

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King Charles, 74, has released a photograph from during the recording of his first Christmas broadcast in the Quire of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The King recorded the message on December 13, which will be broadcast to the nation on Christmas Day at 3pm.

In the still photograph from his Christmas speech, King Charles can be seen standing in a blue suit in St George’s Chapel in front of various lamps, candles and a Christmas tree.

However, royal fans will immediately notice that it is a far cry from what the late Queen’s Christmas speech backdrop used to look like.

Queen Elizabeth, up until 2018, religiously recorded her Christmas message inside Buckingham Palace, as opposed to Windsor Castle.

The late Queen would usually sit in the White Drawing Room at a big mahogany desk with dozens of framed family photographs surrounding her.

Buckingham Palace was known worldwide as the official home of the monarch, however, King Charles has not moved into the London palace yet.

This could be the reason why he chose not to record his official Christmas message there, but instead in Windsor Castle.

For many years, the Queen would often have photographs of her late father, King George VI, her four children, and several of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren on her desk during her Christmas speech, to show family unity.

However, King Charles has foregone this tradition, choosing instead to stand in a chapel alone, as opposed to sitting at a desk surrounded by family in photographs.

Even from 2019 onwards when the late Queen would record her Christmas Day message at Windsor Castle, she would always sit at a desk in the White Drawing Room.

Charles may have decided not to have family photographs because this can sometimes cause division and rumours to spread about relations inside the Royal Family.

For instance, in 2019, the Queen put pictures of her late father George VI, Prince Philip, Charles and Camilla, and the Cambridge family on her desk.

This caused supporters of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to complain about possible favouritism in the family.

As Charles is the father of both William and Harry and expressed a deep love for both during his first speech as monarch back in September, the King likely wants to keep the focus on other matters. 

However, this Christmas speech could also be a nod to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as it was in St George’s Chapel where the two married back in 2018.

Meghan walked down the aisle in a custom-made Givenchy dress to marry Harry at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.

Other royals who have married in the historic chapel include Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward, as well as Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.

Also, although the King and Queen Camilla got married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on April 9 2005, this ceremony was followed by a Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George’s Chapel.

The groom’s parents, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh famously did not attend the civil wedding ceremony, but were present at the Service of Prayer and Dedication and held a reception for the couple in Windsor Castle afterwards.

This choice of location therefore must hold a lot of meaning for King Charles as it is where he celebrated part of his wedding to his wife of 17 years.

This could also be another reason why he chose this location for his first Christmas message as the monarch.

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