How King Charles’s Christmas speech reveals precisely what he thinks of Harry and Andrew amid royal rift
King Charles has ‘clearly made up his mind’ about Prince Harry and Prince Andrew after not mentioning either of them in his Christmas Day speech, a royal expert has claimed.
Addressing the nation in a pre-recorded message from the Fitzrovia Chapel in London, the King paid tribute to the medical staff who supported him and the Princess of Wales during their cancer treatment.
He also spoke of his pride at how communities across the UK responded to the riots in the summer and included snippets of Prince William and the wider Royal Family.
But his message did not mention Harry, Meghan or his disgraced brother Andrew.
Royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop said the speech showed that Charles, 76, was ‘choosing to focus on family strengths, not weaknesses, to shore up the nation’.
She told The Mirror: ‘Lest we are in any doubt, the clever film that accompanied this speech, underscored the importance of the King’s royal A-Team, on hand to deliver what Charles considers to be an alternative to global killing: a listening and understanding mission that leads to actions for the good of all.
‘As well as a replay of the King’s famous hug with the New Zealand women’s rugby team, there was footage of Kate at Trooping the Colour, Camilla in Scotland and Australia, William serving food to the homeless and, of course, those royal stalwarts, Princess Anne and the Edinburghs.’
Harry and Andrew have not featured in the royal monarch’s Christmas Speech for years.
The monarch, 76, filmed his special message from a former hospital chapel in London to emphasise the link with the nation’s vital healthcare community
King Charles has ‘clearly made up his mind’ about Prince Harry (pictured in 2023), a royal expert has claimed
Prince Andrew have not featured in the royal monarch’s Christmas Speech for years.
The late Queen Elizabeth notably missed the pair off her message in 2019 and they have not been spoken about in a festive speech since.
MailOnline royal expert Robert Hardman said the King’s change of backdrop was also a sign of the warring relationships in the firm.
He said the unusual choice to film the Christmas speech outside of royal grounds may have spared Charles from the usual intense analysis of the photos on display.
Instead of having framed photographs behind him at Buckingham Palace like the Queen traditionally did, the King had only a Christmas tree, lights and a beautiful scene of the chapel.
Mr Hardman said: ‘By avoiding a royal desk or sitting room, the King has also avoided any micro-analysis of whichever royal photographs and portraits are in shot, and thus hinting at who is (or is not) in royal favour. The Fitzrovia Chapel reveals nothing more tantalising than a Christmas tree decorated with ‘sustainable’ decorations.’
The Christmas message was filmed for only the fourth time ‘on location’, rather than on a royal estate.
The official Royal Family Instagram account have now shared a clip showing how much work went into getting everything perfect for the annual occasion.
The Monarch appeared on TV screens on Wednesday to deliver his speech from the Fitzrovia Chapel in London (pictured)
King Charles III attends a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace for the Royal Family
The clip showed the Band of the Grenadier Guards getting dressed in their bold scarlet-red uniform, along with Charles practising his speech.
Part of the video message was filmed using a drone which flew through the doors of the building before stopping short of the smart guards.
Members of the team also helped decorate the atmosphere with lit festive trees and decorations to help set the scene.
It also showed Charles discussing with technicians how to use the autocue to read his speech, along with reviewing the footage after it had been filmed.
The official Royal Family Instagram account wrote: ‘Behind the lens.
‘A special glimpse into the incredible talent, creativity, and teamwork that brings The King’s Christmas Broadcast to life.’
