King Charles pays tribute to ‘beloved mother’ the late Queen in first Christmas speech
The King will pay tribute to this “beloved mother” the late Queen in his first Christmas message to the nation on Sunday.
“We owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example,” he will say.
His first Christmas Day speech was recorded last week at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, where the Queen’s committal service was held and where she was laid to rest with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
The King is pictured standing while delivering his address. Although in recent years the Queen recorded her Christmas broadcast sitting at a desk, she had also stood in decades past.
In the background is a large Christmas tree decorated with ornaments made from sustainable materials including paper and glass as well as natural products such as pine cones.
Following the recording, the tree was placed in the Dean's Cloister for visitors to enjoy.
Meanwhile, the King began his Christmas holiday at Sandringham by making a donation to a charity providing relief to those in fuel poverty.
The royal standard is flying above the Norfolk estate where the King and the Queen Consort will celebrate Christmas Day with members of their family, marking a return to traditional royal festivities.
The Fuel Bank Foundation said financial donations, sent to the King in condolence cards after the death of the late Queen, have been passed on to the charity along with an undisclosed donation from Charles III via the Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund.
Matthew Cole, head of the foundation, said: “We are extremely grateful for the kind and generous donation from His Majesty the King.
“The money will be used to help keep vulnerable people warm this winter, offering some physical and mental respite from the challenges posed by the energy and cost-of-living crisis.”
The charity provides emergency help to people living without heat, light and power in their homes because they cannot afford to top up prepayment gas or electricity meters.
It will be the first time the royal family has spent Christmas at Sandringham since 2019 and will be a poignant period after the death of the Queen on 8 September.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children are expected to join the King and his wife, alongside the Princess Royal and her family and the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children.
The Duke of York and his former wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, are understood to be on the estate but it is not known if Andrew – whose reputations was left in tatters by a civil sex case he settled out of court – will make a public appearance.
During the Covid pandemic, the late Queen spent the festive period at Windsor Castle, separated from her wider family during lockdown, for two years in a row – the first with the Duke of Edinburgh.
