King Charles used his annual Christmas message to hail the selflessness of those who have cared for him and the Princess of Wales this year as both were receiving cancer treatments.
The 76-year-old monarch said in a pre-recorded message released Wednesday that he and his family are “continually” impressed by those who dedicate their lives to helping others.
“From a personal point of view, I offer special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported other members of my family and me through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed,” he said in a prerecorded speech.
The broadcast came several hours after the monarch waved to a large crowd of onlookers who traditionally gather to see the Royal family attend Christmas Day services at a church on Sandringham, the estate on the windswept North Sea coast that has served as a family retreat for generations.
The King’s Christmas speech is the third since he ascended the throne after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, but the first since he was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February.
Millions of people in the U.K. and across the Commonwealth watch the monarch’s holiday message, and many households time Christmas lunch around it.
The King’s treatment, which is believed to be ongoing, forced him to step away from public appearances for two months. He has slowly returned to public life recently and was in good spirits on a tour of Australia and the South Pacific in October.
Source-CBC
