King Charles commemorates Commonwealth soldiers in Christmas message

King Charles III honors D-Day veterans and healthcare workers in heartfelt Christmas message, emphasizing unity and service.

Britain’s King Charles III commemorated the sacrifices of service men and women from across the Commonwealth during World War II in his annual Christmas Day broadcast.

Opening his customary address with a reference to the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings this year, which laid the foundations for the victory of the Allied Forces against Nazi Germany in 1944, the 76-year-old monarch said such examples of “service and selflessness” continue to inspire.

“Earlier this year, as we commemorated the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, the Queen (Camilla) and I had the enormous privilege of meeting, once again, the remarkable veterans of that very special generation who gave of themselves so courageously, on behalf of us all,” said King Charles.

“Listening to these once-young service men and women touched us deeply as they spoke of their comrades, drawn from across the Commonwealth, who never returned and who now rest peacefully where they made the ultimate sacrifice. Their example of service and selflessness continues to inspire, across the generations,” he said.

The King went on to strike a personal note in his message, filmed earlier at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London and aired on Wednesday evening, as he thanked the medics who cared for him and daughter-in-law Kate Middleton as they underwent cancer treatment.

“From a personal point of view, I offer special, heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who, this year, have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness, and have helped provide the strength, care and comfort we have needed. I am deeply grateful, too, to all those who have offered us their own kind words of sympathy and encouragement,” he said.

The broadcast marked the first time that a British monarch’s Christmas message has been filmed outside a royal residence since 2006, when King Charles’ mother – the late Queen Elizabeth II — filmed her message at Southwark Cathedral in London.