The King’s Christmas message tomorrow has been inspired by the way the UK pulled together after the Southport murders and riots.
Charles, 76, will also reflect on a difficult year for his family following two shock cancer diagnoses, as well as others who have suffered in the UK and abroad, particularly the Middle East.
The traditional Christmas Day broadcast has also been filmed ‘on location’ for only the fifth time in 92 years, it can be revealed.
It will show His Majesty in the exquisite ‘hidden gem’ of Fitzrovia Chapel, a former sacred space on the site of the demolished Middlesex Hospital where his late wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, opened London‘s first dedicated Aids ward.
It is part of the King’s determination to respect the traditions of his past but bring ‘originality, newness and a touch of flair’ to the monarch’s annual message of hope to the nation, which was started by King George V in 1932.
Royal sources have told the Mail that his full message, which will be broadcast to the nation at 3pm on Christmas Day, was inspired by his experience of being diagnosed with cancer in January.
It is one of the reasons a former hospital chapel was chosen as a means of recognising the ‘incredible’ dedication and selflessness of healthcare workers.
It also reflects the challenges faced by his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who underwent preventative chemotherapy following major abdominal surgery in January, and has been recuperating for most of the year.
King Charles pictured in the ornate Fitzrovia Chapel in central London
The Princess of Wales arrives for the Together At Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey in London
The King’s Christmas message has been inspired by the way the UK pulled together after the Southport murders and riots
But the sources stress that the King ‘would hate’ for his message to be seen as self-centred – not least because he has never felt a ‘shred of self-pity’, despite his ongoing cancer treatment which is likely to continue well into next year – and recognises there are others in a far more difficult position than himself.
He also strongly wanted to emphasise the importance of community cohesion after a troubled year for the United Kingdom.
July’s triple fatal stabbing of three schoolgirls in Southport and the resulting national rioting is something that has occupied his mind heavily, sources say.
It is no coincidence that his last engagement before Christmas was to Waltham Forest, known as a London borough of ‘sanctuary’, where more than 1,000 residents took to the streets in August with a message of peace, in stark contrast to violent disorder elsewhere in the UK.
‘His Majesty is keen to emphasise how we are stronger when we come together,’ a source said.
‘There is so much more strength in unity.’
The Fitzrovia Chapel is a fascinating choice of venue and reflects Charles’s interest in doing things ‘slightly differently’.
In keeping with his desire to go out into the community, he tasked the team organising the broadcast to find a site away from the royal estate.
The Fitzrovia Chapel in London where King Charles III has presented his Christmas message
The traditional Christmas Day broadcast has also been filmed ‘on location’ for only the fifth time in 92 years
The Fitzrovia Chapel has historic links to the medical community and the Royal Family
The broadcast will show His Majesty in the exquisite ‘hidden gem’ of Fitzrovia Chapel, a former sacred space on the site of the demolished Middlesex Hospital
The King gave them a criteria the building must fulfil, including having health connections, a strong community presence and providing a place of solace and reflection, as well as having a royal connection.
Staff discovered the Grade II- listed building in central London which has Byzantine-inspired architecture and is richly decorated in a gothic revival style. Charles apparently seized on the secret community ‘jewel’ without visiting it and was left ‘absolutely bowled over’ by its beauty and ‘what a special, spiritual place it is’, a source added.
The chapel is a few minutes’ walk from Oxford Street, Europe’s busiest shopping destination, but offers a tranquil space and is a popular wedding venue and arts exhibition site.
It was used by patients, medical staff and the public visiting the Middlesex Hospital, which closed in 2006 and was demolished in 2008. It has now been deconsecrated and is open as a place of reflection for all faiths – and none – as well as being rented out for events and weddings. ‘It’s got quite an ordinary outside but it’s a real hidden gem and takes your breath away when you walk inside,’ a royal aide said.
The last time a Christmas message was filmed outside of a royal residence was in 2006 when the late Queen spoke from Southwark Cathedral. She also filmed at Combermere Barracks in 2003, highlighting British sacrifice in Iraq, and in 1989 from the Royal Albert Hall.
The Mail can reveal that the King is so ‘encouraged’ by the finished result that he is considering moving the venue more regularly in future.
His team has also, for the first time, filmed some ‘behind-the-scenes’ footage of the broadcast, which will be trailed on social media from today through the Boxing Day, to encourage ‘interaction’ with the annual event.
Royal sources have told the Mail that his full message, which will be broadcast to the nation at 3pm on Christmas Day, was inspired by his experience of being diagnosed with cancer
The message is also said to be reflecting the challenges faced by his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales
The King is showing a determination to respect the traditions of his past but bring ‘originality, newness and a touch of flair’ to the monarch’s annual message
The broadcast features a ‘living Christmas tree’ which was adorned with sustainable decorations including pine cones, metal bells, twisted glass and baubles.
Following the broadcast, the tree was donated to Croydon BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Forum and Macmillan Cancer Support’s Can You C Me? project that strives to tackle ethnic inequalities in cancer care.
It will be placed in the Royal Trinity Hospice in Clapham, south London, which has the Queen as its patron.
Carla Whalen, chairman of the Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation’s board of trustees, said: ‘I assume that this space being one of calm reflection, but also thinking about health, about care, about the medical profession, would make it a pretty apt choice.
‘He was pretty surprised and kind of delighted, as far as I can tell, from coming in and discovering it. We were very privileged.
‘He was very interested in the marble – there’s 40 types of marble here and lots of different designs – and he wanted to learn about the history of the chapel and some of the people who are commemorated here.’
King Charles announced in February that he had been diagnosed with cancer, which was discovered during treatment for an enlarged prostate.
His treatment is said to be heading in a positive direction, with plans for a full programme of international travel on behalf of the Government next year.
A space for prayer and solace in heart of capital
The Fitzrovia Chapel has historic links to the medical community and the Royal Family. It was previously the chapel for the Middlesex Hospital and provided a quiet space for prayer and solace in the heart of central London.
The chapel is noted for its Byzantine-inspired gothic revival architecture, including its mosaic vaulted ceiling featuring 555 stars, coloured marble walls and 23 stained-glass windows. It was designed in 1890 by renowned Victorian architect John Loughborough Pearson, who also designed Truro Cathedral.
The chapel was left intact when the hospital was demolished in 1924 and rebuilt, after it was declared structurally unsafe. In 1928, the Duke of York – later King George VI, grandfather to the King – laid the foundation stone of the new hospital.
By Vanessa Allen