Britain’s King Charles III has urged the world to embrace “compassion and reconciliation” amid growing global and domestic divisions, in his Christmas Day message delivered on Thursday.
Gatekeepers News reports that in the nationally broadcast address, the 77-year-old monarch said he was “enormously encouraging” to see that people of different faiths shared a “longing for peace,” despite ongoing conflicts and social tensions worldwide.
The king paid tribute to individuals who have risked their lives to protect others during violent incidents, including those affected by the recent killings at a Jewish event at Bondi Beach in Australia.
“Individuals and communities have displayed spontaneous bravery, instinctively placing themselves in harm’s way to defend others,” Charles said, as images from the Bondi tragedy were shown during the broadcast.
Reflecting on history, Charles noted that 80 years after the end of World War II, the courage of servicemen and women and the unity displayed by communities in the aftermath of the conflict continue to offer “a timeless message for us all.”
“These are the values which have shaped our country,” he said.
“As we hear of division both at home and abroad, they are the values of which we must never lose sight,” the king added.
The Christmas message, recorded at Westminster Abbey, made no reference to recent challenges within the royal family. Instead, Charles emphasised the importance of unity in diversity, saying: “With the great diversity of our communities, we can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong.”
“It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation the way our Lord lived and died,” he said.
In October, Charles became the first head of the Church of England to pray publicly with a pope since the schism with Rome more than 500 years ago, describing the Vatican service led by Pope Leo XIV as a “historic moment of spiritual unity.” Days earlier, he also met survivors of a deadly synagogue attack and members of the Jewish community in Manchester.
This marks the second consecutive year the king has delivered his Christmas message outside a royal residence. Unlike last year, when he acknowledged medical staff following his cancer diagnosis, Charles made no mention of his health in this year’s address. He also avoided any reference to his younger brother, Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles in October over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The broadcast featured images of the king’s son and heir, Prince William, and his grandson, Prince George. It concluded with a Christmas song performed by a Ukrainian choir formed after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Later on Christmas Day, the king and senior members of the royal family, including Prince Andrew’s daughters, attended a service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
AFP
